The Siachen braveheart, Lance Naik Hanamanthappa Koppad passed away at 11.45 am on Thursday, according to the Army Research and Referral Hospital. Buried under snow, he defied death for six days. An expert team from AIIMS as well as military doctors tried their best to save the brave soldier’s life. He leaves his parents, wife and a daughter behind.

The Siachen avalanche killed nine members, while Hanamanthappa was the lone survivor. He was rescued after six days from under 25 feet of ice in the Siachen glacier after which he was hospitalized for three days. In spite of aggressive medication he could not survive. He slipped into deeper coma on Thursday morning.

Hanamanthappa was on maximal life support, while his kidneys were non-functional and was put on dialysis. Even his pneumonia worsened.

According to a medical bulletin issued on Wednesday, he was in an extremely critical condition with evidence of oxygen deprivation to the brain on CT scan.

‘There was evidence of pneumonia in both lungs. His multi-organ dysfunction state continues unabated. His condition has deteriorated despite aggressive therapy and supportive care,” it added.

Even as the soldier lay battling for his life, India prayed for his speedy recovery!

-Sumana