Three Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) personnel rescued Indian Army Agniveer Lalit Kumar after he was swept into the Alaknanda River near Mana in Chamoli district, Uttarakhand, on Monday, November 9, 2026.
Kumar, who serves in the Indian Army’s Corps of Signals, was laying a signal line near a forward military post when he reportedly lost his balance and fell into the river at about 12:55 pm. The strong current carried him away, and workers at the site raised the alarm.
ITBP Personnel Pulled Him from the River
ITBP personnel Saurabh, Bolbam Sahu and Om Prakash were travelling towards the forward post when they heard calls for help. They went to the location and pulled Kumar from the water.
The three personnel then administered cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR). According to the report, their intervention helped restore Kumar’s breathing before medical personnel arrived.
ITBP Deputy Commander Shiv Prasad Sati said Dr Gaurav Singh, the commanding officer at the ITBP’s Mana headquarters, later reached the site with a medical response team and an ambulance.
Evacuated to Joshimath for Further Treatment
Kumar was first taken to the Primary Health Centre in Badrinath for emergency treatment. When his condition showed little improvement by about 2 pm, authorities arranged an evacuation to a better-equipped military medical facility.
An Indian Army helicopter flew him to Joshimath. At approximately 3:30 pm, he was taken to the Army field hospital there for further treatment. Medical personnel were monitoring his condition at the time of the initial report.
The incident took place in the Mana sector, near the India-China border, where rugged terrain and fast-flowing Himalayan rivers present difficult operating conditions. Indian Army and ITBP personnel carry out their respective operational and border-security responsibilities in the area.
The rescue involved a rapid response by the three ITBP personnel, including administering CPR after bringing Kumar out of the river. It also reflects the presence of Army and border-guarding personnel in the same challenging frontier region.
