Two foreign climbers have been successfully rescued after being stranded for three days on a mountain in India’s Himalayan north. The climbers, Fay Jane Manners from the United Kingdom and Michelle Theresa Dvorak from the United States, were attempting to ascend a rocky section of the Chaukhamba-3 peak in India’s Uttarakhand state when they encountered trouble, as reported by Sandeep Tiwari, a senior administrative officer of Uttarakhand’s Chamoli district. The rescue operation took a total of 80 hours to complete and involved the Indian Air Force and the Uttarakhand State Disaster Management Authority.
The climbers found themselves in distress on Thursday when a rockfall caused their rope to sever, leading to their bags — containing essential supplies such as food, tent, and climbing gear — falling into a gorge. Despite losing most of their communication equipment, they were able to send out an emergency message on the same day. “We were pulling up my bag, and she (Dvorak) had her bag on her. And the rockfall came, cut the rope with the other bag, and it just went down the entire mountain,” Manners recounted to local reporters on Sunday.
Initially reported as stranded on Thursday, the climbers were successfully rescued on Sunday. Rajkumar Negi, a spokesperson for India’s disaster management agency, mentioned that two Indian Air Force helicopters dispatched on Friday were unable to locate the climbers. However, on Saturday, a French mountaineering team, also attempting the Chaukhamba-3 peak, spotted the stranded climbers and relayed their coordinates to the rescue authorities.
Highlighting the challenging conditions, the Indian Air Force stated in a social platform post that they airlifted the climbers on Sunday “from 17,400 feet, showcasing remarkable coordination in extreme conditions.” Chaukhamba-3 is a mountain peak situated in the Garhwal Himalaya in northern India.
This successful rescue mission serves as a testament to the collaborative efforts of various teams and authorities involved in ensuring the safety and well-being of all individuals undertaking adventurous expeditions in the majestic Himalayan region.