Lt Shashank Tiwari was posted with the Sikkim Scouts regiment of the Indian Army. The 23-year-old from Uttar Pradesh’s Ayodhya gave the ultimate in saving a magnifier officer young enough to be his brother from drowning in a freezing, rushing mountain stream. Here’s what transpired
Lieutenant Shashank Tiwari was only six months in the Indian Army, but when the situation arose, he did not think twice. While on an operational patrol in North Sikkim, the 23-year-old Army officer leapt into a fast-flowing icy mountain stream to rescue a fellow soldier from drowning. He was able to rescue his colleague, but in doing so, lost his life.
Indian Army’s Eastern Command honoured his sacrifice and bravery. “Lt Gen R.C. Tiwari, #ArmyCdrEC, and all ranks express heartfelt condolences on the sad demise of Lt Shashank Tiwari who sacrificed his life while evacuating a colleague during an operational patrol in the high-altitude region of #NorthSikkim,” read the official release.
On Thursday morning, Lieutenant Shashank Tiwari was commanding a route-clearing party in a high-altitude sector of North Sikkim. The party was moving towards a strategic forward base that was being readied to be used in the future.
Near 11 am, one of the men, Agniveer Stephan Subba, slipped while walking over a makeshift log bridge and was washed away by a powerful current. Within a split second, Tiwari leapt into the icy water to rescue him. He was followed by Naik Pukar Katel, who also waded into the brook to help. They managed to rescue the Agniveer together.
Sadly, while trying to rescue his fellow soldier, Tiwari also got trapped in the strong current. Though rapidly rescued by the patrol party, his body was recovered almost 30 minutes later, about 800 metres downstream.
