MIRACULOUS! Uttarakhand man falls 330 ft into glacial gorge, rescuers trek 20 km overnight to save him (WATCH)

In an extraordinary all-night rescue operation, a 13-member team saved 24-year-old Vijay Danu, who had fallen 330 feet into a gorge near the Pindari Glacier trek route in Uttarakhand on Friday evening.

Danu, a resident of Khati village, was supervising labourers repairing the trekking route near Jwarpani, about 7 km from the glacier, when he slipped and plunged into the chasm. The incident occurred around 7 pm at an altitude of nearly 12,000 feet, leaving Danu stranded in freezing temperatures with severe injuries.

The labourers accompanying Danu immediately alerted authorities, prompting the Kapkot police to launch a rescue mission. A team comprising members of the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF), police, fire department, and medical personnel set out for Khati village, from where they embarked on a grueling 20km trek through icy, treacherous terrain to reach the gorge.

Upon arrival, the team faced the daunting task of descending 330 feet into complete darkness to reach Danu. “We knew the risks, but we also knew someone’s life depended on us,” said Rajender Rawat, a rescue team member.

After nearly six hours of battling freezing winds and perilous conditions, the team located Danu at the bottom of the gorge. He was alive but gravely injured, suffering from severe head and leg trauma and the early stages of hypothermia.

Secured onto a stretcher, Danu was carried by foot back to Khati village in an arduous journey through the harsh terrain. “Every step was a challenge,” said Dr. Manish Gururani, who provided medical support throughout the trek. “The cold, exhaustion, and terrain tested us, but the will to save him kept us going.”

By dawn, the team reached Khati, where Danu received initial treatment before being transferred to the Community Health Centre (CHC) in Kapkot. Despite his severe injuries and partial paralysis, doctors described his survival as miraculous. “His survival is nothing short of a miracle,” said Dr. Brijesh Kishore Ghatiyal, in charge of the CHC. Danu has since been referred to another facility for advanced care.

For Danu’s family, the rescue was an emotional moment. “We thought we had lost him,” said his brother, Kailash, holding back tears. “What the police, villagers, and medical team have done is beyond words. They gave us back our brother.”

District disaster management officer Shikha Suyal praised the team’s heroic efforts. “The rescue operation was conducted through extreme cold and challenging terrain. Despite the odds, the team triumphed and saved a life,” she said.