He leaves us sad & devastated. RIP Lance Naik Hanumanthappa. The soldier in you remains immortal. Proud that martyrs like you served India, sais PM Modi
Lance Naik Hanamanthappa Koppad, the Siachen braveheart who defied death for six days buried under snow, passed away on Thursday morning.
"Lance Naik Hanamanthappa is no more. He breathed his last at 11:45 am," a senior army official said.
The 33-year-old soldier of the 19th Battalion of Madras Regiment is survived by his wife Mahadevi Ashok Bilebal and two-year-old daughter Netra Koppad.
Taking to micro-blogging site, PM Modi said, "He leaves us sad & devastated. RIP Lance Naik Hanumanthappa. The soldier in you remains immortal. Proud that martyrs like you served India."
A medical bulletin released by Army's Research and Referral Hospital had said that Hanamanthappa had slipped into deep coma despite maximal life support with aggressive ventilation and dialysis.
This assessment was made after Hanamanthappa's condition was reviewed by a team of Critical Care specialists, comprising of HoD of Medicine, Senior Nephrologist, Senior Neurologist and a panel of experts from AIIMS, New Delhi.
Hanamanthappa was evacuated by a helicopter from the site of the avalanche that hit his post on Siachen Glacier before being shifted to Delhi in an IAF aircraft accompanied by a critical care specialist of the force and a medical specialist from the base camp.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi, along with Army Chief Gen Dalbir Singh Suhag, had visited the hospital earlier on Tuesday.
Modi had said Koppad is an "outstanding soldier" whose "endurance and indomitable spirit" cannot be described in words."
33-year-old Hanamanthappa Koppad was enrolled in 19th Battalion of the Madras Regiment on 25 Oct 2002. The individual displayed high degree of initiative and has served 10 years in difficult and challenging areas out of 13 years of total service.
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
 "Lance Naik Hanamanthappa Koppad")
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
)
)
)
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}