POKHARA, May 18: Not many know that a policeman risked his own life to save the pilot of the Nepal Airline Twin Otter that crashed on Thursday near Jomsom airport.
Lakshya Ram Chaudhari, who is posted at Mustang District Police, pulled the severely injured pilot, Diperndra Pradhan, out of the Kaligandaki river which was sweeping him away. The river had already swept Pradhan some 50 meters downstream from the accident spot when Chaudhari jump into the water to save him. Chaudhari was not aware that the man was the pilot himself. [break]
"We were playing cricket at grounds next to the airport. We saw the pane crash on the bank of the river. I ran to the spot and saw a man being swept away by the current," said Chaudhari adding, "I could not hold myself back and dived in with my tunic on. I brought him out of the river with great effort."
The Nepal Airlines Twin Otter had 19 on board including pilot Pradhan, co-pilot Suresh KC, flight attendant Shanta Maya Tamang and a child. Among the other passengers, 8 were Japanese tourists.
"The man being swept away by the river was crying out for help. So without going to the other passengers at the accident site, I dived into the river. The strong current was sweeping him away fast. Had I not gone to his help, he would never have make it to the bank," Chaudhari added.
"Save me brother!" were the first words Pradhan spoke when Chaudhari reached near him in the river.
According to Chaudhari, he dived into the river without a second thought. "There were other security personnel to take the other passengers out of the wrecked plane. But, there was no one else to save the man in the river," Chaudhari said.
Chaudhari also said that a sense of fear gripped him only after coming out of the river though when he jumped in he had thought of nothing but saving the man. "I can swim a little," said Chaudhari, who originally hails from Bardiya. He also sustained minor injuries in the rescue effort, but he has the satisfaction of having saved a life.
"Back at the office, the DSP in charge congratulated me on saving a human being. My mind still dwells on the incident," an elated Chaudhari said. DSP Basanta Ranjitkar hailed Chaudhari´s feat. "Had Chaudari not jumped into the water, the river might well have swept the pilot away," Ranjitkar said.
Returning home alive was like being born again
Govinda Pahadi, a central committee member of the NGO Federation, was in the ill-fated plane on his way home in Parbat after attending a seminar in Pokhara. Pahadi, who suffered minor injury in the accident and is preparing to go home after treatment in Pokhara, said it was like a rebirth to come out alive.
"I have been receiving calls from friends and relatives congratulating me to say it was my rebirth to be live after such a serious accident," said Pahadi.
The pilot and co-pilot are in the Intensive Care Unit at TU teaching Hospital, Maharajganj. According to doctors, it will take a few more days for the injured crew members to recuperate.