Siachen Avalanche Survivor Hanumanthappa Battles for His Life

Hanumanthappa who was brought to the Army R&R Hospital on Tuesday is still in a coma. His condition remains critical.

Rescue operations underway in Siachen. (Photo: The Quint)

Lance Naik Hanumanthappa Koppad was miraculously rescued from the Siachen Glacier after being buried under snow for six days. He is still in a coma and battling for his life.

Koppad has been kept on a ventilator in the ICU. In a medical bulletin, the hospital says that despite aggressive efforts his condition has worsened.

He continues to remain extremely critical with evidence of oxygen deprivation to the brain on CT scan. There is evidence of pneumonia in both lungs. His multi-organ dysfunction state continues unabated.

<b>Medical Bulletin, Army’s R&amp;R Hospital</b>

The Indian Navy’s ex-sailor SS Raju has expressed his willingness to donate any organ of his body to save the life of his “fellow-brother”.

I request doctors at the Army Hospital (R&amp;R) to contact me immediately and I can go to New Delhi. I am ready to donate any organ, including liver, kidney. We must save our fellow brother who is critical.

SS Raju, ex-sailor, Indian Navy

In an earlier medical bulletin, the hospital had said that the soldier continued to battle the odds. The medical team treating him at the R&R Hospital is monitoring his situation continuously and is treating him with the best expertise and resources in the world.

He remains extremely critical and is expected to have a stormy course in the next 24-48 hours due to the complications caused by rewarming and establishment of blood flow to the cold parts of the body. He has pneumonia and investigations have revealed liver and kidney dysfunction. Fortunately, there was no cold exposure related frostbite or bone injuries.

<b>Medical bulletin, Army’s R&amp;R Hospital on Tuesday</b>

The bodies of the other soldiers – who were swept away along with Koppad by the avalanche on February 3 at a height of 20,500 feet on the southern side of the glacier – were also found, the Army said.

President Pranab Mukherjee and Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday lauded the “indomitable spirit” of Koppad. Modi visited the hospital as did Army Chief General Dalbir Singh.

In Karnataka, his distraught family and relatives prayed for his well-being. They arrived in New Delhi on Tuesday.

The soldier was luckily inside an “arctic tent” which possibly aided his survival despite being under the ice sheet, Army sources said.

While Koppad’s survival is a miracle, doctors say he was possibly trapped in an air pocket which saved him.

Lance Naik Hanumanthappa Koppad’s mother and wife at their home in Betadur village in Dharwad district on Tuesday. (Photo: PTI)

Air pocket created between the snow layers can possibly be a reason for his survival. Also, a strong willpower to survive must have acted as an added advantage.&nbsp;

<b>HS Chauhan, President, Indian Mountaineering Foundation</b>

Soldiers posted in harsh icy conditions are trained to look for air pockets in case of an avalanche and know how to clear snow near the nose and mouth so that they can keep breathing.

Doctors at the site immediately administered warm intravenous fluids, humidified warm oxygen and passive external rewarming.