Hanumanthappa had Sanjivini in Siachen

A soldier who was given up as lost has survived the 10-day ordeal under an avalanche in the Siachen glacier. Lance Nayak Hanumanthappa was among nine soldiers and an officer of the Madras regiment, who were buried alive under tons of ice. Hanumanthappa Koppad of Dharwad surprised his rescuers by being alive for long under chilling temperatures and mounds of ice. Hanumanthappa is believed to have survived by the natural means. Where he was buried there was enough space for him to move his head. That is he could breathe at least. Then there was the phenonmenon of the latent heat of ice. Third there was no chance of ablution. As a result the body maintained surviving temperature. Hanumnathappa could dare say he defied death despite the Army starting belated rescue operations. There could have been more survivors if the rescue was taken up in right earnest as Hanumanthappa proved man could survive an avalanche in the highest battlefield in the world. Hanumanthappa has 24 years in the Army and has small family of wife and daughter back home in Dharwad in Karanataka. It would be nice on the part of the Army if it could present Hanumanthappa after he convalesces for the people to know how he had survived the extreme ordeal. Hanuman brought Sanjivini from the Himalayas to save Laxmana. Hanumanthappa's Sanjivini is grit and determination. The Madras Regiment which he represents is known for reconstruction and parade. The high skills in these two aspects have brought them the honorific `Thambi' (kid brother).