Indian army rescues trekker in 45-hour daring operation

An injured trekker, who was stranded in the cleft of a steep hill in the southern Indian state of Kerala for two days, has been airlifted to safety.

Teams from the Indian Army, the Navy and National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) rescued the 23-year-old after a risky 45-hour operation.

They were called in after three earlier rescue attempts by coast guards were unsuccessful due to the heavy downdraft.

The man had slipped and got trapped between two rocks on Monday.

His friends, who had gone on the trek with him, alerted the authorities after they were unable to rescue him using sticks and ropes. 

The emergency crew managed to determine his location on the hillside using drones and cameras but were unable to get food and water to him due to the steep terrain.

It was during the early hours of Wednesday that two members of the rescue team rappled down the hill till they reached the trekker and hauled him up. 

Footage of the rescue has been posted on the official site of the southern command of the Indian Army, with the man seen smiling with the army personnel. 

#OP_Palakkad
In a spectacular action, highly qualified Teams of Indian Army have successfully rescued Mr Babu who slipped off a cliff & was stranded in a steep gorge for over 48 hours. The operation was coordinated by #DakshinBharatArea under the aegis of #SouthernCommand@adgpi pic.twitter.com/Pcksj6WEBS

— Southern Command INDIAN ARMY (@IaSouthern) February 9, 2022