Siachen braveheart Hanumanthappa Koppad passes away

Siachen braveheart Lance Naik Hanamanthappa Koppad, who battled death for over six days, finally succumbed on Thursday.

The health condition of Hanumanthappa, who was buried in an avalanche on Febuary 3, rescued on February 8 and admitted to the Army's Research and Referral Hospital in Delhi on February 9, was declared dead on Thursday afternoon.

Aggressive therapy and supportive care failed to resuscitate him. The oxygen levels in his blood and brain had dipped as compared to Tuesday, when he was first admitted to the capital’s Research & Referral Hospital.

Most of his body organs like brain, kidney and liver remained in a state of hibernation. His body was deprived of water, oxygen and glucose for six days. All this took a toll on him and the end came on Thursday afternoon.

Hanumanthappa probably survived under 35 feet of snow for six days as he was trapped in a pocket of air. Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Army chief Dalbir Singh visited the hospital on Wednesday.