Miraculous escape for 19-yr-old at Nandi Hills

NT Correspondent

A 19-year-old Bengaluru based engineering student and a native of Delhi,who went to spend quality time at Nandi Hills, a tourist spot in Chikkaballapur, slipped and fell 250 feet getting stuck in a cliff cavity before the NDRF, Air force personnel and police rescued him in a miraculous operation.

The rescue operation was launched after a friend who accompanied the boy, Nishank, reached out to local authorities sending a video seeking help, which was reminiscent of how Cherattil Babu (23) was rescued recently after a similar incident near Kerala’s Malampuzha.

Nishank and his friends had decided to explore a different route from the one trekkers usually use where the crowds are less.

Reacting to the incident G.K. Mithun Kumar, SP Chikkaballapur said the shocking incident had made it necessary to have new rules for trekkers. “The incident shouldn’t have happened. We have a dedicated route for trekkers but because of public negligence, another route was used which is very dangerous”.

IAF sent Mi-17 choppers and after an intense search was able to locate the immobile boy. The Flight Gunner of the Mi17 was lowered by winch to land next to the survivor and helped winch him up safely. The chopper flew him to the Air Force Station in Yelahanka.