Search For AN-32: The Heroes With Climbing Gear

Everester Taka Tamut and his friends endured all kinds of hardship in an effort to rescue the personnel on board the AN-32 aircraft.

- Jun Taki

On June 3, 2019, all regional media TV reports focussed on the news of the missing AN-32 aircraft. With 13 air personnel on board, it took flight at Air Force Station, Jorhat, Assam and was en-route Mechukha. The disappearance of the routine flight caused quite a buzz, because experts couldn’t figure out the reason behind the same.

During the three week long rescue mission, a remarkable story of human endurance, heroism, and courage was brought to the limelight. Mountaineer Taka Tamut showcased the goodness in people, and the lengths some will go to save lives.

June 6: The Decision

Taka Tamut, a civil engineering graduate and an adrenaline junkie was at the Miao adventure camp when he came to know about the crash through a viral message on Facebook and Whatsapp. ‘The next morning, I grabbed a newspaper where it was reported that the IAF plane’s wreckage could not be located, even after three days of the disappearance.’ He immediately contacted another mountaineer, Tagung Tamut, who he met at Miao and rushed back to Itanagar. They went to the Director of Youth Affairs office and collected three climbing ropes.

Without any monetary aid from the Department of Disaster Management or from any other government source, Taka spent all of his 4Ì€0,000 (allowances) received during the Miao training camp to purchase basic climbing equipment for at least 5 mountaineers. By evening, the duo reached Pasighat and alerted DC, East Siang District, Rajiv Takuk about their willingness to participate in the rescue operation. That same night, they travelled to Roing to get two sets of binoculars from a friend and then drove back to Pasighat.

By now, the disappearance of the plane has led to a host of theories, and no one could say for certain where the plane crashed, and whether there were any survivors.

June 7: Gearing up for Rescue