The search and rescue operations for the missing co-pilot and ALH WSI MK II Rudra chopper, which crashed into Ranjit Sagar Dam on August 3, are going on in full swing, said officials.
“The defence forces are employing best of the equipment available in the country to locate the wreckage. Remotely operated underwater vehicles, hand-held navigation system with sonar, side scanner sonar with echo sensor and portable transducer, divers propulsion vehicle, multi-beam sonar and submarine rescue unit of navy have been pressed into service,” said defence spokesman Lt Col Devender Anand.
In addition, Special Forces commandos along with Marcos of the Indian Navy are carrying out continuous diving in the areas being identified through the technical means.
“To facilitate the same, the Indian Army has also created a large floating platform from where all diving operations along with the launch of special equipment are being executed. Various agencies like NDRF, civilian experts and dam authorities have also been incorporated in the search operations,” said Col Anand.
“Indian Navy has been constantly upgrading the equipment being used for this search and salvage operation. The challenge of operating remotely controlled equipment at a depth where human intervention is not feasible and visibility is not more than a few inches is being handled by incorporating electronic multi-beam sonars, he added.
{{/usCountry}}“Indian Navy has been constantly upgrading the equipment being used for this search and salvage operation. The challenge of operating remotely controlled equipment at a depth where human intervention is not feasible and visibility is not more than a few inches is being handled by incorporating electronic multi-beam sonars, he added.
{{/usCountry}}“The search operations are being spearheaded by a commodore-rank officer who is expert in naval rescue operations along with an Indian Army brigadier having expertise in civil engineering aspects. In addition, search operations are being monitored round the clock by GOC Gurj Division and GOC Rising Star Corps making regular visits to the crash site,” said Col Anand.
The search and rescue operations continue to be executed at a war footing.
On August 15, after 12 days of the crash, body of one of the two pilots of the ill-fated Rudra helicopter was recovered from the lake.
On August 11, on the ninth day of intense searches since the helicopter crashed into Ranjit Sagar Dam in Basohli area of Kathua district, the rescuers had located the wreckage of machine at a depth of nearly 80 metres in the vast lake.
The Rudra helicopter had crashed into the Ranjit Sagar Dam lake near Pathankot on August 3 around 10.43am. Built at Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL), the chopper was carrying out a training sortie that involved low-level flying over the lake.
The helicopter belonged to the Army’s Pathankot-based 254 ALH-WSI squadron, which had earlier lost a Rudra chopper in January 2021.