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Chopper crash: Survivors' ordeal

Altogether 12 people were on board the Indian Air Force helicopter. After the ill-fated Mi-8 helicopter crashed in the swamps of the Rann of Kutch on Sunday, Junior Warrant Officer S K Mohanty was the first to regain consciousness.

He found himself and eight colleagues, who survived the crash, lying in the marsh with the debris of the copter strewn all around.

Though injured, Mohanty pulled the others out of the mud and dragged them to rest on floating pieces of wreckage.

As the hours crawled by, the survivors fought against hunger, thirst and pain from wounds reassuring themselves and each other that help would certainly arrive and they would live to see another day.

The crash had taken place at around 1300 hours (IST) near the India-Pakistan border (pillar 1175) in the creek area near Lakhpat.

Border Security Force Inspector General S C Yadav and the two pilots - Squadron Leaders Anil Sharma and M S Pathan - who were sitting in the front were killed instantaneously.

Then began an arduous struggle for the nine survivors.

Recounting the trauma from his hospital bed in Bhuj, BSF Deputy Commandant Swaran Singh said they had nothing except life jackets to shade them from the unrelenting glare of the sun's rays. The salty water of the marsh magnified the pain due to their open wounds.

When the thirst became unbearable, they drank each other's urine, all the while scanning the skies for a rescue helicopter, he said.

However, as darkness set in, only empty skies and silence greeted them.

It was at around 1900 hours that one of the survivors, BSF Commandant R S Chouhan, died to be followed by BSF head constable Dilip Mosherai.

Around midnight, the clatter of a helicopter raised their hopes and spirits. They frantically waved their torches but their signals went unnoticed in the darkness and the chopper changed direction and flew away.

The temperature came down at night bringing much needed respite.

On Monday morning, at about 0800 hours, they sighted two more helicopters coming in their direction. However, to their dismay, even these turned away from their direction.

It became increasingly hot as the sun reached its zenith. The survivors were getting dehydrated and forced to drink each other's urine as a last resort.

Some of the survivors broke down while others prayed for help.

Around 1000 hours, Subedar Shadilal died, followed by BSF Commandant V R K Nair an hour later. Nair had tried to keep up everyone's morale despite his own severe head wounds, Swaran Singh said.

It was only at 1400 hours that a rescue helicopter managed to locate them.

However, getting them out of the quagmire proved to be a daunting task.

Since there was no place to land on the marshy terrain, ropes were lowered to enable the survivors to climb up into the chopper.

By that time, the nine had spent nearly 25 hours in the inhospitable wilderness of the Rann. Only five survived - Flying Officer Manish Kumjar, Junior Warrant Officer S K Mohanty (both from the IAF), Dy Commandant Swaran Singh, Inspectors Unni and Prem Singh (of the BSF).

They were admitted to the military hospital in Bhuj.

After gradually recovering from the shock, they have begun to recount their experiences. Notably, each is giving a different version of the cause for the crash.

One said something hit the helicopter while another said it went down after an explosion. A third one said there was a technical snag and the fourth suspects that the 25-year-old helicopter crashed because it was very old.

However, they all agree on three points.
1. There were five Pakistani 'fishing' boats, which had intruded into Indian territory
2. Those on board these boats did not try to rescue them despite being in the vicinity for three hours or more
3. The delay in reaching help led to the death of four of their colleagues.

UNI

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