By IANS,
Kolkata : Indian Air Force helicopter pilots Wednesday evacuated eight people, including three pregnant women and two doctors, from a boat stuck in the Dibong river near Sadiya in upper Assam.
Braving inclement weather, strong winds and low cloud cover, the pilots navigated to the stranded boat stuck on a sandy mound.
With deft skills, they lowered the helicopter wheels to merely touch the nearby soft ground by holding on to the collective control, which required consummate piloting skills, said a defence spokesman.
Wing Commander Rosha, flight commander of 128 Helicopter Unit, and his crew comprising of co-pilot Flt.Lt. Dogra, flight gunner Sgt. Mohan and flight engineer Sgt. Pratap Singh took part in the rescue.
“Since it involved three pregnant women, winching them up as an option was ruled out,” said Wg.Cdr. Rosha.
The crew had no option but to take on the stranded persons on board without winching.
“We carried out orbits and indicated to the stuck persons to wade through to a slightly hard surface area, whereupon the flight engineer and gunner could one-by-one help them climb aboard,” said the captain of the mission.