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