At the cost of digression
@SrNair , I wonder if you have read this ..
Longest 30 minutes of my life: Naval commander on mission to airlift pregnant woman
By Barkha Dutt
August 23, 2018
The whole country watched, gripped, as the tragedy and horror of the Kerala floods unfolded before their eyes. There were also stories of hope and heroism, and a defining image was the rescue of a heavily pregnant woman, Sajitha Jabil (25), who delivered safely, thanks to the gallantry on display by Naval Commander Vijay Varma and his team. “I have been flying for 18 years, but this was the most challenging mission I ever faced,” says Varma.
Edited excerpts:
I think you have become a national hero. Everybody is talking about what you did. Are you overwhelmed by the emotions on display?
Yes, it is overwhelming. This [the job] is what we’re trained for. This is what we do. But, the response has actually taken me by surprise. I was on a mission assigned to me, and I conducted it. It ended wonderfully.
Can you talk a little about that particular moment when you had to winch up Sajitha, a pregnant woman whose water had broken?
Well, the first thing I heard was that there was an emergency rescue mission. When we heard that a medical evacuation had to be carried out for a woman whose water had broken, a sense of urgency set in. When we got the message, we [the team] rushed to the aircraft. There was my co-pilot Lieutenant Chaitanya Bhardwaj; winch operator, Jasbir Singh; free diver LAFD Amit.
We had to search a little bit. The landmarks were not clearly visible. The roads were all inundated, so we could not make out which roads were where. In fact, there was water everywhere. We finally identified the masjid where Sajitha had taken shelter, and that was when the process of decision-making really started. We knew the urgency of the situation, but there was a point at which you have to choose—was it a go or no go?
Then what happened?
There were obstructions all around the place. It was a thickly populated area with a lot of buildings and power lines running through. There was a tree in front. To my right was a minaret, and to my left a power cable. It was a very dangerous, tight spot. If you ask me, under normal conditions, I would have decided against going into such a situation. But we knew the woman was probably in labour, and there was no margin for error. We lowered the winch operator, who informed us of our position. The roof of the masjid itself was a shelter, and there was little space. My winch operator said it seemed very difficult, but I told him that we would go on.
So, I moved in very slowly, with reduced height, making sure that my tail rotor did not hit anything. As I maintained position, my diver told me that if I could hover steadily, it was possible to go in. He said he was sure.
But, as you know, the captain has to take the final call. And I decided to go for it. Also, we had a young doctor with us, and it was his first time in a helicopter. He is a brave man, I would say.
He must have been quite terrified. I can imagine.
But, he didn’t hesitate even once. The final part was the most precarious. Because of her condition, we had to ensure there was no jerk or swing when she left the ground. She had to be kept absolutely vertical. I swear to God, I have been flying for 18 years, but this was the most challenging mission I have done. And, trust me, these were the longest 30 minutes of my life. At the end of the day, you know, it comes down to saving one or two lives, or losing four more.
Were you able to speak to her at all? Have you met her?
Yes I did. The entire team went to meet her.
Fantastic.
I am actually thinking of adopting the child—as in, he is going to be our flight mascot. We will track his life and would like to be there for the important milestones.
Well, I don’t think she’s [the mother] ever going to forget you. And then, you had another special moment. All of us have seen the photographs from when you evacuated two other women. There are these 'thank you' messages painted on the roof of a house.
In that operation, we rescued close to 77 people from different rooftops. But I think they were thanking all the helicopter pilots. It was really touching. The people of Kerala appreciated what we did. By the way, I am also a Malayali.
So, this is your home state.
Yes, this is my home state and this is where I belong. It has been heartening to see how the Malayalis reacted to the floods. They have been stellar.
Yes. It’s a rare moment when, even in chaos and tragedy, there is such order and compassion.
When we tried to drop food packets, if people had enough, they waved to us to stop and move on to the next person. In another building, there were about fifteen people on the roof. The helicopter was small, so we could take only two. There was an old gentleman who I thought I should give priority to. He refused. He asked me to take a young couple who had a 15-day-old baby. I feel blessed to see how the people of Kerala came together. The state has come a long way. The common Malayalis are heroes for the way they behaved with maturity and dignity. They are well-educated and well-informed, with a strong sense of social responsibility. Kerala is a wonderful place.
Yes, the state showed its best side. Was it emotionally more complicated for you because it was your home?
You have seen the armed forces. We leave our state behind when we wear the uniform. I feel proud as a Malayali, yes. But, it would not affect my decisions if it was my state, or some other state. There are no Malayalis in my crew.
India does not receive foreign aids on such disasters. Also, UAE has not offered any aid, it was a cooked up story by some Mallu communists.
