MOUNTAINEER ANURAG Maloo, who went missing on April 17 after falling into a crevasse below base camp 3 while descending Mount Annapurna, has been found alive, with officials saying his condition is critical and he is receiving treatment in Kathmandu. Maloo was located by a team of rescuers after days of intense search efforts. The rescue mission was no less perilous than the expedition - Maloo was rescued from a deep crevasse, 300 metres below the 6,000-metre point. When the rescue team of six sherpas and two foreigners - aided and assisted by the Indian and Nepalese authorities - found Maloo, there were no visible signs of life. But, according to hospital sources, efforts by a team of doctors brought "rhythm" to his vital organs and some movement in his limbs. Mountaineer Anurag Maloo, who went missing while descending Mount Annapurna, has been found alive. The rescue mission was no less perilous than the expedition — Maloo was rescued from a deep crevasse, 300 metres below the 6,000-metre point. pic.twitter.com/NUe4EKoeLs — The Indian Express (@IndianExpress) April 20, 2023 Mingma Sherpa, chairman of the Seven Summit Treks which was also involved in Anurag's rescue efforts, told The Indian Express that the rescue operation at that particular spot was "very risky, as there were avalanches every hour". He said that along with the assistance of Indian and Nepalese governments, "Chhepal Sherpa, Chhang Dawa Sherpa, Dawa Nurbu Sherpa, Tashi Sherpa, Lakpa Sherpa, Lakpa Nurbu Sherpa and then one of the best climbers, the Polish Adam Bielecki, plus a friend of Adam's" were involved in the rescue efforts. Mariusz Hatala is the friend Mingma referred to. They were assisted by Capt Sobit Gauchan, who was manning a chopper on standby. "Everyone risked their lives to save him but we were lucky that no one was injured. this was one of the highest rescue efforts in the world," he said. Just days earlier, on April 17, Capt Gauchan had successfully rescued a French climber and a sherpa from Annapurna Camp 3. He was tired, but looking for more opportunities to rescue others, including Maloo, and took to Instagram to offer his services. At 6.20 am on April 19, Gauchan took the rescue team to the location where Maloo went missing. He recalled how the rescue team took a "safe position" at the crevasse - an avalanche-prone area - to prepare for hostile weather. Eyewitnesses had confirmed that Maloo had fallen around that point - between camp 2 and 3. Gauchan said the team used a long rope that could connect to the Airbus H125 if the need arose. Around 10.30 am on Thursday, little less than five hours after the search began in the morning, Maloo was put on board the chopper. A doctor from the Manipal Teaching Hospital at Fulbari, Pokhara, where Maloo was taken first, told The Indian Express, "Yes he was brought here. He was not responding. there was no pupillary activity; he was not in a good condition." Considering his serious condition, Maloo was referred to Kathmandu around 3:30 pm local time, said the doctor. In Kathmandu, Maloo was shifted to the ICU of the Nepal Mediciti hospital, where he is being treated by Dr Bijoy Rajbanshi, a prominent cardiac surgeon, Dr Sanjay Karki and others. "He is on a ventilator and we are examining any internal damage, apart from providing him emergency care," hospital sources said. Speaking to The Indian Express, Sudhir Maloo, Anurag's cousin, confirmed that he is "critical". As the news of his rescue reached Kishangarh in Rajasthan's Ajmer, his parents Om Prakash, 60, and Pushpa Devi, 57, got busy packing their bags. "We are going to Delhi, they will probably bring him to Delhi from Kathmandu," Om Prakash said. Anurag's brother, Aashish, 29, had left Kishangarh on Monday night itself and reached Nepal via Delhi on Tuesday morning. Aashish was also instrumental in launching social media campaigns to rescue his brother, saying that more efforts are needed. He was not immediately available for comment.
