The Hindu : Front Page : Survivor found 4 days after copter crash

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Wednesday, Aug 24, 2005

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Survivor found 4 days after copter crash

Anil Sastry

Search was hampered by heavy rain and rough terrain; one more crew member yet to be traced

END OF THE AGONY: Rescue workers on Tuesday administer first aid to the survivor of a helicopter crash in the dense forests of Karnataka, 55 km from the Goa airport. The helicopter went missing on Friday. — PHOTO: PTI

PANAJI: A naval marine commando on Tuesday located a survivor and a major portion of the wreckage of a helicopter that crashed last Friday.

The helicopter was on its way from the naval air station in Dabolim, Goa, to Vishakapatnam in Andhra Pradesh when it crashed in the dense forest in neighbouring Karnataka, 55 km from the Goa airport.

One of the survivors contacted the police in Belgaum, but the search was hampered for more than three days by heavy rain and the rough terrain.

The survivor has been identified as Sandeep Singh, who was admitted to the naval hospital in Vasco-da-Gama.

Four of the crew killed

Four of the six crew members — Cdr. Y. Ravindra Nath, Lt. Cdr. O. Shrawat, CPOF A.K. Singh and EAA3 Ravinder — were confirmed dead, Cmdr. Kesri said.

Public Relations Officer of the Goa Naval Area N.V. Kesri said the Navy, Army, Air Force, Coast Guard police and Forest Department from Goa and Karnataka conducted the search.

The Naval headquarters in New Delhi said on Tuesday that efforts were still on to locate the sixth crewmember, Air Mechanic Biswanath Singh.

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