October 7 2024
Changwon(Luke) Choi
In a daring rescue, two foreign female climbers, British alpinist Fay Manners and U.S. climate science teacher Michelle Dvorak, were saved after they went missing for more than 60 hours with the entrance to their camp in snow Lake at an altitude of 6,300 meters on Chaukhamba-III peak in the Garhwal Himalayas.
The rockfall left the climbers facing brutal conditions. They lost vital supplies when a rope carrying their kit bag was severed by the falling rocks, sending it tumbling into the canyon. Despite this fearful predicament, they managed to send out an SOS on Thursday afternoon.
Rescue operations by the Indian Air Force (IAF), the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF), and the Indian Mountaineering Foundation (IMF) began early on Friday. However, the treacherous terrain and high altitude of Chaukhamba-III presented significant challenges. Helicopters made several rounds over the area without success, as the climbers had lost all their signaling equipment.
A French expedition team already in the area diverted their route farther to find the missing duo. They went forth to relay their position to the IAF, who succeeded in airlifting them out Sunday morning.
Manners and Dvorak described their ordeal as terrifying, with Manners recounting how they took cover on a ledge while waiting for rescuers. “I felt hypothermic, constantly shaking, and with the lack of food, my body was running out of energy to keep warm,” she said. The rescue was further complicated by bad weather, fog, and high altitude.
Naturally, the climbers felt vast relief and gratitude when they were set down uninjured. “I cried with relief, knowing we might survive,” Manners said. The successful rescue operation shows the courage and coordination of rescue teams contemporaneously, as well as climbers' resilience.
This incident serves as a reminder of the unpredictable nature of high-altitude climbing and the importance of preparedness and swift response in rescue operations.