Mahinder Patial
Bharmaur
A wave of grief has swept through the Bharmaur region after the bodies of two missing youths were recovered following a massive rescue operation conducted by the Indian Army. The incident occurred during heavy snowfall, when the two youths went missing on January 22 while trekking in the Bharamani Mata forests.
The deceased have been identified as Vikshit Rana (19), son of late Sanjay Rana of Malakauta village, and Piyush (12), son of Vikram Singh of Ghareed village. Piyush was Vikshit’s maternal cousin. Both had set out for trekking, photography, and video shooting and had camped near Upri Dhar.
On the night of January 22, a fierce storm blew away their tent, forcing them to run for survival. Unfortunately, they got trapped in the heavy snowfall. Piyush succumbed to the extreme cold first, while Vikshit tried to seek help. On Friday, they managed to contact their families and sought rescue, but despite continuous search operations by teams and drones on Friday and Saturday, no trace was found.
Vikshit’s last call to his family was on Friday evening, when he said that their phone batteries were about to die. The situation became more alarming as heavy snowfall continued, making search efforts extremely difficult.
Army Rescue Mission and Local Support
On Sunday afternoon, two army helicopters reached Bharmaur but could not locate the missing youths despite a search operation. Along with army personnel, SDRF teams and local volunteers also participated in the search.
On Monday morning, the two helicopters returned and began the rescue mission from Bharmaur helipad. Local youth Vini Kapoor and Ajay Gharati played a crucial role in guiding the rescue teams and helping them reach the exact location. Their support led the rescue team to Bharamani Mata Dhar, where the missing tent, sleeping bags, and other belongings were found first.
During the search, the body of Piyush was found. Remarkably, Piyush’s pet Patwul dog was found alive beside his body. The loyal dog had stayed beside his owner for four days in severe freezing cold, refusing to leave even when rescue personnel tried to approach. The dog’s loyalty won widespread praise in the area.
After recovering Piyush’s body, the rescue team, with help from Vini Kapoor and Ajay Gharati, traced Vikshit’s location. His body was found in a deep ravine in the Koi forests. It is believed that he tried to return to his village Malakauta on Friday night but got disoriented due to darkness and heavy snowfall. In the process of saving his cousin, Piyush fell into the ravine and died, while Vikshit also lost his life in the harsh conditions.
Both bodies were brought to Bharmaur helipad by helicopter in the afternoon, spreading sorrow across the region. Vikshit was known for his passion for professional trekking and vlogging. He had also gained popularity on social media for a video of him bathing in Bharamani Mata Kund last January.
After post-mortem at Bharmaur Civil Hospital, the bodies were handed over to their families.
Calls for Faster Rescue Operations
The rescue mission was intensified following demands from Congress District President Chamba Surjeet Bharmauri, Bharmaur MLA Dr. Janak Raj, and Sanchui Panchayat head Sanjeev Thakur, who appealed to the administration to speed up the rescue operation.
The tragic deaths have left the Bharmaur community in deep mourning, while the successful rescue operation by the Army has been praised for its timely response and coordination with local volunteers.
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