Navy commando saves family from tragedy

The jeep plunged into the water while trying to cross a river

GILGIT: A picnic at the scenic Deosai plains of Gilgit-Baltaltistan would have turned into a tragedy of the worst kind for a family of tourists had Dilawar Hussain of Pakistan Navy's Special Services Group not risked his own life to saw them.

Hussain, a G-B local, was at the scene when a jeep carrying the family was being washed away by the fast flowing water of a river on Thursday.



The jeep had plunged into the water while trying to cross the river. "The moment called for action and taking action is exactly what he had been taught as part of his SSG(N) training," a relative of Hussain told The Express Tribune.

"He jumped into the river and saved all the family members one by one," the relative said.

Hussain himself could not be reached immediately due to poor communication facilities in parts of G-B. News of Hussain's rescue effort spread like wildfire in the Astor Valley, which is one of most scenic tourist locations in G-B.



His valour was also acknowledged by the director general of public relations (Navy) in an official statement issued on Friday.

"Dilawar Hussain displayed the highest sense of chivalry and rescued all the family members including the female and children in the jeep," the statement said.