A retired headmistress who was among the seven occupants of the helicopter that ditched near Mayabunder on February 24 died on Friday evening while undergoing treatment at G.B. Pant Hospital, marking the first fatality linked to the incident.
Official sources said the helicopter had ditched approximately 300 metres short of the Mayabunder helipad while operating a flight from Sri Vijaya Puram via Rangat. The victim, identified as Nambiamma, a senior citizen, is reported to have ingested water during the emergency, leading to complications that required sustained medical care.
Following the incident, rescue personnel provided immediate first aid after bringing her to safety. She was initially shifted to the District Hospital in Mayabunder, where doctors monitored her condition. As her medical status did not permit airlifting at that stage, authorities arranged for her transfer by road ambulance to Sri Vijaya Puram the following day for advanced treatment.
She had remained under continuous medical care at G.B. Pant Hospital since her transfer. Despite ongoing treatment and monitoring, her condition deteriorated, and she succumbed on Friday evening, hospital sources confirmed.
Officials indicated that arrangements had been initiated to shift her to the mainland through an air ambulance for further advanced medical intervention. However, her health worsened before the transfer could be executed, preventing evacuation outside the Islands.
Her death marks the first reported casualty resulting from the February 24 helicopter ditching, which had initially been reported without any loss of life. The aircraft was carrying seven persons at the time of the incident, and the remaining occupants were rescued and provided medical attention.
Authorities have not released further details regarding the precise circumstances that led to the helicopter ditching near the helipad. An assessment of the incident is understood to be ongoing, though no official statement has yet been issued on technical or operational aspects of the flight.
Nambiamma had served in the Education Department for several decades and retired as a headmistress. During her career, she was associated with multiple educational institutions in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands and was regarded as having devoted her professional life to public service and the development of the region’s education sector.
With confirmation of her death, the incident has taken a tragic turn, shifting the focus from a narrowly averted disaster to one involving loss of life. The development has also renewed attention on emergency response and medical evacuation capabilities in remote parts of the Islands, particularly in situations involving aviation incidents.
