Indian Army makes daring rescue of Kerala trekker from steep hill look easy; video shows jawans' bravery [Watch]

For the past forty hours, several rescue teams of the nation have had a mission that seemed challenging, almost impossible even. A 23-year-old tourist R Babu was stuck inside a small cavity on the side of a steep gorge in Malampuzha mountains of Palakkad, Kerala. 

During the span of the first 28 hours, three different rescue teams tried saving Babu, a native of Cherad in Malampuzha. From the local fire and police officials and choppers from the Coast Guard to the Indian Navy, none could reach Babu. Stuck inside a tiny cavity of a steep hill, he was inaccessible from all sides of the mountainous terrain, however, the only thing working in their favour was that Babu was responsive.

Finally, the Kerala Chief Minister asked the Indian Army to step in and save the youth. Babu was rescued after 45-hour long ordeal. 

The videos to have found their way on social media show the rescue teams slowing making their way down and then back up, but making stops in between to give Babu some rest. He was given food and water at 9 a.m and hauled up to safety by 10.08 am by the Army personnel on Wednesday.

Local bodies, Coast Guard, NDRF, Air Force were also on standby. Babu was brought on the top of a hill safely by an Army official, who carried him on his shoulder. 

A trekking trip gone wrong 

On February 7, Babu along with three of his friends went on a hiking trip to Kurumbachi. On their way down, Babu slipped and fell inside the small cavity of the steep hill. The cavity luckily was deep enough for Babu to just stay put in a squatting position. Initially, Babu's friends tried all they could, ropes, sticks, logs but he could not climb up, following which they went to local police. The fire and police officials reached the spot at 12 a.m. but could not start the rescue operation due to lack of light. 

The most challenging part of the operation

Spotting Babu and the cavity inside which he was stuck, was only the first of the many hurdles to be crossed. Drones had to be sent to try and find his exact location. After being located, now Babu had to be accessed.

When even a Coast Guard helicopter from Kochi could not go anywhere close to the gap that Babu was stuck in, it seemed like the end of the story. Palakkad Collector Mrunmayi Joshi Shashank sought the help of an Indian Navy helicopter, which also did not work out.

Babu, being out of reach, could not catch hold of the rope and come up. After circling the gap for a while, the helicopter returned. A team from the National Disaster Response Force also reached the spot. For the anxious parents and friends of Babu, the only relief was that he was still responsive, despite a day spent without food or water. 

Indian Army plays the hero

After a full day of failed rescue attempts, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan asked the Indian Army to help rescue the youth. An Army Special Forces from Bengaluru, specialising in mountaineering and rescue, set out by road in the night. 

The applause hasn't died down yet, for the highly qualified teams of Indian Army who played the real hero. The operation was coordinated by Daskshin Bharat under the aegis of Southern Command. Take a look at the full rescue video. Make sure you don't slip from the edge of your seats.