Siachen miracle: Lance Naik Koppad's wife terms her husband's 'news of being alive' as 'rebirth for family'

New Delhi: Mahadevi, the wife of Lance Naik Hanumanthappa Koppad – who survived a deadly avalanche last week at the world's highest battlefield in Siachen – on Tuesday expressed her joy over her husband's return from the glaciers and termed it as a 'rebirth for the entire family'.

Betadur village which is situated in Kundgol Taluk in Dharwad district of Karnataka is the native place of Lance Naik Koppad. The entire village today filled with joy after they received Hanumanthappa's survival news.

Speaking exclusively to IBN Khabar, Mahadevi also expressed her will to visit her ailing husband who has been hospitalised in Army hospital here. Hanumanthappa Koppad is currently under a critical condition as he is comatose and is on ventilator support.

"My husband’s grandmother inspired him in his life. Her prayers are with him. She actually saved him from certain death in Siachen. It is a rebirth for all of us," she said.

However, the Lance Naik's wife said that none of the government officials have contacted her family yet. Therefore, she is completely unaware of her husband's condition.

 

Recalling the day when an avalanche hit the Siachen, Mahadevi further said, “We were informed about my husband on that unfateful day when the landslide hit the glaciers. After receiving the news, world had ended for us that day. We had lost all hopes.”

“We all were weeping that night when we got to know about the Siachen incident. But, yesterday night we all were happy after so many days when we came to know from various news channels that my husband is alive,” she added, according to the report.

Mahadevi and Lance Naik Hanamanthappa Koppad are married for four years and also have a two-year-old child. 

“He is my son and somewhere I knew that he would come back to me,” said an overjoyed mother of Lance Naik Hanumanthappa from Betadur before leaving for New Delhi.

According to media reports, the 62-year-old Basamma is currently travelling to the national capital along with Mahadevi to meet the ailing Hanamanthappa.

Earlier, prior to leaving for Delhi, Mahadevi said that it was a miracle and the prayers of the family is what saved him. I am just waiting to see him now she also said.

The mother further said, “I gave birth to him and somewhere I felt that he was alive. I felt very sad hearing the news, but somewhere deep within I felt that he would come back.”

 

“I was proven right she also said,” she added.

Earlier today, Prime Minister Narendra Modi set aside his security protocol to meet the jawan at the Army Hospital Research and Referral (R&R).

Koppad was buried under 35 ft of ice and snow at 20500 ft for five days since the avalanche at Siachen on February 3 and was rescued from the site yesterday.

After the avalanche, Lance Naik Hanumanthappa and nine other soldiers were buried deep under the snow. A wall of ice, a kilometer wide and 800 metres high, came crashing down on their post.

But, in a miraculous incident, Lance Naik Hanumanthappa got trapped in an air bubble, which saved his life.

 

On recovery, he was found to be conscious but drowsy and disoriented. He was severely dehydrated, hypothermic, hypoxic, hypoglycemic and in shock. He was immediately resuscitated by the doctors at the site, who had been there for the past five days in the hope of a survivor.