‘Those were the greatest moments’: Army officer who led Kerala trekker’s rescue op

The Army officer, who led the rescue team, said his joy knew no bounds after receiving Cherattil Babu’s heartwarming response. Talking to indianexpress.com over the phone, Raj said that Babu kissed and hugged them after reaching the hilltop. “Those were the greatest moments. He said thank you and appreciated our efforts. I felt overjoyed when he said that he wants to join the Army,” said the officer from the Madras Regimental Centre, Wellington in Coonoor.

“It feels great to save a person’s life. Hours and hours of our training have got utilised in saving someone’s life,” he added.

Babu, who was started climbing the hill on February 7 along with his three friends, slipped and fell into the crevice while returning.

It was a combined effort made by more than 75 personnel of the Indian Army, Indian Air Force (IAF), National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), forest officials, district authorities and civilians. There were nine members in his team from Madras Regimental Centre.

“We were a team of highly-qualified and trained personnel in mountaineering and rescue operations. During our posting in the Northeast and Kashmir regions, we work in even more difficult terrains. We are trained for such activities, especially for war,” he added.

Their utmost priority during the rescue operation was Babu’s safety as well as to make sure it didn’t take long, he said. “He was stranded there for 48 hours without getting a drop of water. We supplied him water and biscuits first, made him comfortable and reassured him that we are there to help him,” the Lt. Col. said.

Attempts to rescue Babu by other agencies before also helped the team plan the task efficiently. “The initial attempts made by the National Disaster Response Force, Fire Force helped us in gaining practical insights into the rescue operation. There was a plan to airlift Babu from the spot where he was stranded. However, it was not attempted due to the terrain. The District Collector availed us of the drone footage of Babu’s location. Villagers gathered over there also gave us details about the terrain,” he said.

The fact that Babu contacted his friends using his mobile phones and sent photographs of his location also helped. However, the connection was disrupted in between the operation. “There was no contact from Babu till 5 pm on Tuesday. We approached Babu’s location from two directions. We moved up and after climbing for one and a half hours, we reached the base. I shouted at Babu and he responded. It was the first sign of positivity and we were relieved. We motivated him by telling him that we are there to help him,” said Lt Col Raj.

The officer also explained the risks and the meticulous planning involved in the operation and how his team members’ experience helped.

“Climbing from bottom to top was not possible. It was a 90-degree slope and we climbed through the rear side. We used mountaineering equipment and strenuous efforts were made for four to five hours. We reached the hilltop by 6 am on Wednesday. We were able to recognise that Babu’s location was near using drone footage.”

“Another daunting task was getting Babu to ascend 400 meters. He was really exhausted and needed help in moving. Madras Regiment’s Balakrishnan Naik’s mettle came to help during that time. The mountaineering specialist, Naik, pulled Babu up and Subedar Deepak anchored them up.”

When asked about what could have led to the accident, Raj said, “Babu said that he slipped off and luckily got inside the cavity.”

Lt. Col. Raj also shared his advice for adventure enthusiasts. “Everybody should go for adventures. But people need to undergo training and use proper equipment. Or else, such amateur activities will lead to grave tragedies. There are many training schools for the sports.”