Intervention in the Khumbu Icefall April 18

Intervention in the Khumbu Icefall April 18, 2014
Popcorn Field
Avalanche Site
At 0700 on April 18 we were informed that there was a big avalanche in Khumbu Icefall and many
Sherpas were involved. The details were sketchy but still there was no request to mobilize the rescue
team.
By 0730 the expedition operators were calling us directly to help in the rescue and recovery effort as
many Sherpas were caught in the avalanche. Then we were sure that the intervention was required and
we prepared to mobilize.
That morning 9N-AKF flown by Surendra was on a mountain flight in the area was able to carry out a
preliminary recce. As the helicopter was not equipped so we asked him to come back to Ktm. Our other
helicopter 9N-AJZ was on scheduled maintenance and not set to come out till 0900.
We called Jason, Chhiring Dhenduk and Flight Assistant Uttam to get ready and proceed to Icefall with
9N-AKF as soon as it arrived back to Ktm. For the second team I called Tshring Pandey to come with me
with 9N-AJZ. As we only had one swing and it was fitted on KF and for JZ we managed to get the swing of
Fishtail Air’s 9N-AJI, which was grounded due to turbine creeping.
Intervention
Popcorn Field
Football Field
First landing
The first team departed Ktm at 0845 and the second team departed at 0910. Jason defuel and stripped
the doors at Lukla. He proceeded to dump fuel at Pheriche and also position our Lukla manager Tashi to
manage Pheriche Helipad before going to Everest Base Camp area. The second team reached the Icefall
area at 1030.
The avalache had occurred around 0630 in the Khumbu Icefall known as the Popcorn field around
5,800M. The Sherpas carrying the materials to the upper camps were stuck on a traffic jam as the route
ahead had been damaged and they were waiting for the route to clear. Initial estimation was more that
20 Sherpas were caught in the avalanche.
By the time we reached there the surviving Sherpas and the gudies from the Base camp were helping to
carryout the search and recovery. At the EBC, Russel Brice of Himex was managing the operations and
Lakpha working for Everest ER (HRA) was helping with co-ordination.
Just below the Popcorn field there is a flat area known as the Football field. Jason landed there with
Chhring and a doctor and took 2 walking wounded. I dropped Tshring Pandey at the commercial helipad
and went to Football field to take out another walking wounded.
Long line intervention
At the popcorn field there was a place to land but to put the injured and the dead bodies inside the
cabin was a risk factor so we decided to sling them out. There were a lot of people at the popcorn field
and if we had tried to do normal pickup there would have been lot of confusion and hazardous.
We decided that Jason would do the sling work as he had more experience and I would do the support
and co-ordination work as I could manage all the concerned parties. Some helicopters were doing scenic
flights in the area so we asked them to stay out of the Base Camp area.
At the moment we are using a belly strap system from New Zealand and it is very easy to release with a
pull chord. Jason got ready to start the slinging but there was no one in his helipad who knew how to set
up the strap and he couldn’t leave the controls or switch off. So, I went up to the Football field to get
Chhring so he could set up the equipment.
One mistake we made was that we didn’t take Chhring up to the avalanche site to hook up the injured
and the bodies because Jason was told by Russel there were couple of good western guides at the
avalanche site and they had radio communication with the helicopter.
At the base camp the scene was chaotic as rival groups of Sherpas were trying to do things on their own
way until finally all the lead Sherpas asked Russel to take over the rescue and recovery operation.
The injured Sherpas were examined
by the doctors at the HRA hospital at
Base Camp and there were 4 who had
to be evacuated. I took out the most
critical one from base camp to Lukla
and managed to convince the Shree
Air helicopter to take him straight to
Ktm.
It was around 1200 when I was in
Lukla and the Army had sent in their
MI-17 helicopter with special force
rescue team to help in the rescue.
The army, were not going to be of much help up there as their plan was to winch up the people from
Icefall and there is no space big enough for them to land at Base Camp. I told the army pilots not to
come up to base camp as it would only create more confusion, instead I asked them to go and land at
Pheriche so they can help us take out the remaining injured and the dead bodies back to Lukla. The
pilots agreed happily and I took the commander of the Army rescue team up to Base Camp to act just as
an observer.
By the time Tshring was controlling the lower helipad where they were receiving and packing the bodies,
Russel and Lakhpa were in charge of the middle helipad where Jason was doing refueling. Chhring was at
the HRA helipad to help load the injured inside my helicopter.
While the KF was bringing down the bodies I made two trips with the injured and a doctor and then
started to get the bodies down to Pheriche. On every trip a relative or a close friend was accompanying
them. I had to make 6 trips down with the 2 bodies and relative to Pheriche.
Total of 8-9 injured were brought down of which 4 had to be evacuated to Kathmandu. The rest were
given first aid and remained at base camp. Total of 16 Sherpas were caught in the avalanche and 12
bodies were recovered that day. (The 13 th body was recovered the next day and brought back to Ktm
by Jason). The remaining three couldn’t be recovered as they were buried too deep.
The army took eight bodies and the injured to Lukla and we took out the remaining bodies back to Lukla.
It was around 1600 when all the injured, bodies and the rescuers were down at Base Camp and we took
out all our crew and some relatives back to Lukla.
At Lukla the Army MI-17 had developed some technical problems so on two helicopters we got back the
injured to Ktm.
Conclusion
It was a very sad day for the Khumbu area as most of the Sherpas were from that area. Most of them
were very young around 22-25 who were just starting their mountaineering careers.
At the Base Camp it was very chaotic in the beginning but as a team (Expedition Organizers, Doctors,
Guides, Rescue Guides and Pilots) we were able to establish control and carry out the rescue/recovery In
a safe and efficient way. Experienced Rescue Sherpas like Tshring Pandey Bhote, Lakpa Sherpa and Tashi
(at Pheriche)were able to control their respective helipads in a safe and co-ordinated manner. Onlookers
were disturbing the work around the helipads but luckily the majority of the new Sherpas guides from
the training in December 2013 were there at the Base Camp to assist us.
Major Factors that contributed to this successful rescue and recovery are as follows.
1. Having proper equipment. The machines were well maintained. We had the proper rescue
equipments.
2. We had good communication via the FM and the Sherpas and the Guides were able to tune into
our channel.
3. All the crew involved were well trained and motivated.
4. Good co-ordination between all the parties involved.
All this couldn’t have been possible if Air Zermatt and later Alpine Rescue Foundation hadn’t introduced
this MERS capabilities way back in 2009 in Nepal. With the help and support provided by Air Zermatt and
ARF we, at Simrik Air have developed into a safe and capable team for mountain rescue situations. We
are still at the starting phase and still need your support and guidance.
We like to thank Air Zermatt team, ARF team, Gerold Biner, Bruno Jelk and Dany Brunner for their
support in training and making us what we are capable of now.
Many Thanks and Namaste!
Himalayan Rescue Team Nepal