What Rabindra Hamal’s flash‑flood escape teaches about survival

Rabindra Hamal was working at the Upper Trishuli River hydropower plant in Nepal's Rasuwa region on August 26 when colleagues upstream warned of an approaching disaster at about 8:30 am, urging the team to evacuate immediately.

He and six others fled, traveling about 700 metres before a large muddy wave hit, and a boulder in front of them helped shield them from the full impact, allowing the group to scramble onto higher ground.

Two colleagues—a driver and a cook—were swept away by the flood, while the surviving five remained on the boulder, enduring a second, larger wave that threatened to destabilise the ground beneath them.

Four hours later a rescue helicopter arrived and air‑lifted the five survivors to a nearby army barracks, after which they were transferred to Kathmandu; the incident occurred as part of the deadly Nepal‑Tibet floods that devastated the region.

The episode demonstrates how early warnings, rapid decisions and clever use of natural terrain can dramatically improve survival chances during flash floods.

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