In an extraordinary display of courage and camaraderie, mountaineers of the High Altitude Warfare School (HAWS) have retrieved bodies of three Army instructors who were buried under an avalanche 10 months ago during an expedition to conquer the Mount Kun in Ladakh.

The expedition team was hit by an avalanche on 8 October 2023 when four instructors fell into a crevasse.

Mortal remains of only one instructor, Lance Naik Stanzin Targais could be retrieved at that time and bodies of Havildar Rohit, Havildar Thakur Bahadur Ale, and Naik Gautam Rajbanshi remained trapped deep within a crevasse, buried under layers of snow and ice.

Mountaineers of HAWS after determined efforts have now retrieved bodies of the three and the mortal remains have been transported to respective families, with full military honours, bringing closure to the loved ones, who had patiently waited to bid a final farewell to the bravehearts, said a defence spokesman on Wednesday.

This operation, launched to retrieve the bodies of three Havildar instructors, epitomizes the indomitable spirit of the Indian Army’s elite training institution.

In July 2023, a 38-member mountaineering expedition from HAWS set out to conquer Mount Kun in the Union Territory of Ladakh. The expedition commenced on 1 October 2023 and the team hoped to conquer Mount Kun by 13 October 2023. The treacherous terrain and unpredictable weather in this glaciated region posed immense challenges.

While fixing ropes on a snow wall, the team was struck by a sudden avalanche on 8 October 2023 at a height of over 18,300 ft, between Camp 2 and Camp 3 on the Fariabad Glacier.

Four members were caught in the deadly slide. The expedition team made all endeavours to rescue the team members, who fell in the crevasse and got buried under a large volume of snow and courageously laid down their lives in true spirit of adventure and quest. Despite valiant efforts, the team could only recover the mortal remains of Lance Naik Stanzin Targais.

The bodies of Havildar Rohit, Havildar Thakur Bahadur Ale, and Naik Gautam Rajbanshi remained trapped deep within a crevasse, buried under layers of snow and ice.

Refusing to leave their brothers behind, HAWS launched a meticulously planned rescue mission, codenamed Operation RTG, on 18 June, 2024. The mission was named in honour of the missing soldiers—Rohit, Thakur, and Gautam. The Rescue Expedition consisted of 88 expert mountaineers who, against all odds, had set out to rescue the mortal remains of their fallen comrades.

A road head camp was established about 40 kms short of Khumbathang, for deposition of specialised mountaineering and rescue equipment, special clothing, survival kits, tents, meals, etc.

Two helicopters were also placed on standby to ferry the mortal remains of the bravehearts and for evacuation of the rescue team, if need be, the spokesman said.

A Base Camp was established at a distance of approximately 13 Kms from the road head at a height of about 14,790 ft. Major General Bruce Fernandez, Commandant, HAWS, stationed himself at Base Camp, overseeing the rescue efforts. Brigadier SS Shekhawat, the Deputy

Commandant of HAWS, personally led the search operation, emphasizing the mission’s importance.

Equipped with satellite phones, special tents, and advanced tools, and supported by dedicated helicopters stationed 20 km away, every precaution was taken to ensure the safety of the search party.

The first significant breakthrough came when the mortal remains of Havildar Rohit Kumar (Dogra Scouts) were found about 30 ft of snow and ice in the crevasse on 4 July 2024.

The team, braving challenges posed by extremities of cold and terrain, went 10 ft deeper in the crevasse, where mortal remains of Havildar Thakur Bahadur Ale (Gorkha Rifles) were recovered on 7 July.

Search continued for the mortal remains of Naik Gautam Rajbanshi (Assam Regiment) and the Mission aim was finally accomplished on 8 July, as the mortal remains of all three trapped soldiers were recovered and no team member was left behind.