The ongoing search operation to trace one of the two missing pilots of an Indian Army helicopter that crashed into the Ranjit Sagar Dam lake in Jammu and Kashmir’s Kathua district, entered 21st day on Monday without any luck, officials said. Twelve days after the fatal crash of the helicopter in the expansive lake, the body of one pilot, Lieutenant Colonel A S Baath, was recovered on August 7 from the water body while the search is on for the second pilot, they said.
“The search operation for the pilot and ALH MK-II Rudra chopper, which crashed into the Ranjit Sagar Dam on August 3, is going on in full swing,” Defence spokesperson Lt Col Devender Anand said. He said the Defence forces are employing the best of equipment and resources available in the country to locate the wreckage. The Submarine Rescue Unit of Navy has deployed remotely operated underwater vehicles (ROUV), handheld navigation system with sonar, side scanner sonar with echo sensor, divers propulsion vehicle and multi-beam sonar, besides other equipment.
In addition, Special Commandos’ Forces along with Marcos of the Indian Navy are carrying out continuous diving in the areas being identified through technical means, he added. To facilitate the same, the Indian Army has also created a large floating platform to launch all diving operations and special equipment for the search, he said. Various agencies like NDRF, Civilian experts and Dam authorities have also been incorporated into the search operations.
Indian Navy has been constantly upscaling and upgrading the equipment being used for this search and salvage operation, he said. The Indian Army is fully committed to retrieving the second crew member of the ill-fated helicopter, he said, the Army empathises with the grief of relatives of the crew.
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