Naval pilot who airlifted two pregnant women to safety in Kerala floods gets Nao Sena Medal for gallantry
Ch Sushil Rao | TNN | Jan 25, 2019, 19:02 IST
(Left) Cdr Vijay Varma, (Right) Woman who was rescued by the officer. HYDERABAD: Remember the naval officer who rescued two pregnant women in the Kerala floods? For his act of bravery and selfless service ‘in the face of threatening conditions’ Cdr Vijay Varma has been given the Nao Sena Medal for gallantry, announced on Friday on the eve of Republic day 2019.
The video of the rescue operation conducted by Cdr Vijay Varma in which the pregnant women were airlifted during the time of Kerala floods in August 2018 went viral at that time.
Cdr Vijay Varma has been working as staff QI in INS Garuda since August 11, 2016. During the August 2018 cataclysmic floods in Kerala, he was part of the ‘Op Madad’ to rescue stranded people in the foods. As pilot in command of a Chetak aircraft, he rescued a total of 24 survivors, including two pregnant women.
"The two rescue missions stand out due to the unprecedent skills, valour and grit displayed by the officer while flying in extremely hostile conditions," the citation for the officer stated.
On August 17, 2018, as pilot-in-command, the officer was tasked with the rescue involving a critical medical emergency of a pregnant woman whose water had broken and was in labour stuck at a masjid. The heavily populated area was completely inundated and to hover was extremely risky due to multiple obstructions on site, including power lines, tall trees and the minarets of the masjid.
The rescue was further complicated as the only place available for winching operations was a small balcony that was partially covered by a tin sheet. This being a life and death situation, the officer decided to go ahead with the mission despite the dangers posed by the severely restricted area and adverse weather conditions of low clouds, intermittent rain and gusting winds.
"The officer through sheer grit and skill positioned over the small balcony. Skilfully maintaining a steady hover for a prolonged duration in extremely challenging conditions, a total of five winching operations were carried out whilst keeping clear of obstructions and battling gusts at the limits of the aircraft’s capability. The rescue was affected with clockwork precision and the survivor was airlifted to INS Garudu," according to an official release.
The rescued and airlifted woman delivered a healthy boy within two hours of the rescue. This incident earned high praise for the Indian Navy’s relief operations. In another incident at 10 am on August 17, 2018, a pregnant woman along with an old woman and child trapped on the roof of a house in the same vicinity were rescued by Cdr Vijay Varma. Despite the gusting winds from an approaching thunderstorm and multiple obstructions, including a coconut tree above the level of the hovering helicopter, Cdr Vijay Varma fearlessly manoeuvred the aircraft and executed a safe rescue.
The video of the rescue operation conducted by Cdr Vijay Varma in which the pregnant women were airlifted during the time of Kerala floods in August 2018 went viral at that time.
Cdr Vijay Varma has been working as staff QI in INS Garuda since August 11, 2016. During the August 2018 cataclysmic floods in Kerala, he was part of the ‘Op Madad’ to rescue stranded people in the foods. As pilot in command of a Chetak aircraft, he rescued a total of 24 survivors, including two pregnant women.
"The two rescue missions stand out due to the unprecedent skills, valour and grit displayed by the officer while flying in extremely hostile conditions," the citation for the officer stated.
On August 17, 2018, as pilot-in-command, the officer was tasked with the rescue involving a critical medical emergency of a pregnant woman whose water had broken and was in labour stuck at a masjid. The heavily populated area was completely inundated and to hover was extremely risky due to multiple obstructions on site, including power lines, tall trees and the minarets of the masjid.
The rescue was further complicated as the only place available for winching operations was a small balcony that was partially covered by a tin sheet. This being a life and death situation, the officer decided to go ahead with the mission despite the dangers posed by the severely restricted area and adverse weather conditions of low clouds, intermittent rain and gusting winds.
"The officer through sheer grit and skill positioned over the small balcony. Skilfully maintaining a steady hover for a prolonged duration in extremely challenging conditions, a total of five winching operations were carried out whilst keeping clear of obstructions and battling gusts at the limits of the aircraft’s capability. The rescue was affected with clockwork precision and the survivor was airlifted to INS Garudu," according to an official release.
The rescued and airlifted woman delivered a healthy boy within two hours of the rescue. This incident earned high praise for the Indian Navy’s relief operations. In another incident at 10 am on August 17, 2018, a pregnant woman along with an old woman and child trapped on the roof of a house in the same vicinity were rescued by Cdr Vijay Varma. Despite the gusting winds from an approaching thunderstorm and multiple obstructions, including a coconut tree above the level of the hovering helicopter, Cdr Vijay Varma fearlessly manoeuvred the aircraft and executed a safe rescue.
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