He continued to be on ventilator support since admitted in the hospital on Tuesday due to continued multi-organ dysfunction.

Lance Naik Hanamanthappa, who had been battling for life at the Army’s Research & Referral hospital, breathed his last on Thursday morning.

“Really sorry to inform everyone that LNk Hanamanthappa is no more. He breathed his last breath at 11:45 a.m. today,” Army officials said on Thursday.

He was admitted at R&R hospital on Tuesday morning and had been on ventilator since. His condition steadily deteriorated due to multiple organ failure.

The soldier of 19 Madras regiment was rescued alive on Monday night after being buried under 35 feet of snow for six days. He was flown to Delhi on Tuesday in an Air Force aircraft. The avalanche had buried their camp on February 3.

Hanamanthappa, survived by his wife and two-year-old daughter, hailed from Koppal in Karnataka. He belonged to a farming family in Betadur village in Kundagol taluk of Dharwad district. Six men from this mainly agrarian village had in recent years joined the Army.

The youngest in the family, Lance Naik Koppad always wanted to join the Army. He came up the hard way, attending high school at Aralikatti village by walking 6 km every day. And, despite being rejected thrice in the Army recruitment rallies at Belagavi, Dharwad and Gadag, he kept on trying and finally managed to get into the 19 Madras Regiment 14 years ago.

Four years ago, Lance Naik Koppad married Mahadevi (Jayashri). Their daughter Netra is two years old. His last visit to Betadur was six months ago. His earnings helped build a house on a government-allotted site in the village.

Just a day before the avalanche, he had called his family, “He had enquired about all of us,” said his eldest brother, Govindappa, who left for Delhi on Tuesday.

Meanwhile the bodies of nine other soldiers which have been recovered from the site are waiting to be the airlifted from Siachen. Officials said that bad weather has held up movement.

(The Hindu)