This is an incredible story of two Pakistani pilots who participated in a daring rescue mission to save a mountaineer.
Lt. Col. Rashid Ullah Beg is an Ismaili Muslim who conducted rescue mission on a Nanga Parbat Peak (usually known as a killer mountain) back in August 2005 along with his co-pilot. This was one of the most dangerous rescue mission that has ever taken place in the history of helicopters. Roter and Wing Magazine have published an article on this rescue mission; Helicopter Heroism: HOGE Sling Rescue at 18, 040 Ft.
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Thursday, November 1, 2007
Helicopter Heroism: HOGE Sling Rescue at 18,040 Ft
James T. McKenna
IT WAS MIDDAY ON AUG. 8, 2005 when Lt. Col. Rashid Ullah Beg got the call to rescue a mountaineer from an elevation of 20,670 ft (6,300 m) on Nanga Parbat.
The Pakistan army aviator at once made a few calculations and concluded it was impossible to hover his SA315B Lama at that altitude at the prevailing temperatures. He recommended the mountaineer be brought down to, say, 18,000 ft, where a rescue attempt could be made. He heard nothing more and assumed his advice had been heeded.
That was until late that evening, when his corps commander told him he must undertake the mission. (The climber, Tomaz Humar of Slovenia, was a world-renowned mountaineer, and notorious for making solitary ascents by the most difficult and dangerous routes.) From that point, Beg considered it a military mission. “We had to attempt to accomplish it,” he said, “even at the cost us of grave danger to our lives.”
Complete story here at Rotor & Wing Magazine
More information at Everest News.
The President of the Republic of Slovenia conferred the Golden Order for Services to Lt. Col. Rashid Ullah Beg and to Lt. Col. Khalid Amir Rana for their act of extreme self-sacrifice demonstrated in rescuing the Slovene alpinist Tomaž Humar from the rock wall of Nanga Parbat, the Himalayan eight-thousander.
From Editor’s Notebook, Rotor & Wing Magazine:
After reading descriptions of what he and his copilot pulled off on Aug. 10, 2005 on Pakistan’s “Killer Mountain,” we couldn’t help but present the honor to the pair. Their efforts, summarized on pages 28-30, were awe-inspiring.
BBC Story – 15 June 2007
Ismailimail 
“…We have clarity and direction enough when the Quran affirms that to save a life is, as if, to save humankind altogether…”, this quote by Mawlana Hazar Imam (see full speech at http://www.akdn.org/speeches/texas.html) reverberates in my mind as I read this unbelievable story and the stories of Almoonir Dewji and the Hike4Life Team who climbed to the top of Mt. Kilimanjaro. Each one of them had one goal: To save a life or many lives, whether in the short or the long term.
Humanity rests on hope and accomplishments such as these.
see full speech at http://www.akdn.org/speeches/texas.html
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Outstanding! An inspiring blend of excellence and courage. Mashallah!
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*Salute*
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