Three Kiwis have been praised for a dramatic rescue in Nepal, dragging an injured and unconscious victim from the wreckage of a crashed plane.
The cargo plane smashed into a cliff while trying to land at the Tensing Hillary Airport, near Mt Everest, on Saturday (local time).
Weather was foggy at the time, according to the Himalayan Times, and the plane broke into three pieces.
A team of Kiwi paramedics from Air Dynasty, Andrew Gutsell, Andrew Roy and Alyssa Lowe, dove in and quickly took control of the scene.
The mangled wreckage was left hanging precariously on the side of a cliff, leaking jet fuel, while the rescue was further complicated by the continued poor weather.
But Mr Gutsell's parents told Newshub their son is used to grappling with dangerous conditions.
"It's pretty dangerous work where he's operating. He's operating up at base camp, it's 17,000 feet," his father, Kelvin Gutsell said.
According to witnesses, Mr Roy cut open the cockpit so rescuers could reach the pilot and the co-pilot.
The pilot had died on impact, but Mr Roy dragged the unconscious and injured co-pilot from the wreck himself.
He also directed a team to pull out a third person, a flight attendant, who was also injured.
The trio have been hailed as heroes for their work, but Mr Gutsell's parents say their son stays modest.
"He goes about it quietly. He just gets on, goes about his work, and doesn't make a big fuss about it," Kelvin Gutsell said.
A rescue helicopter sent to pick up the injured co-pilot and flight attendant wasn't able to land due to bad weather.
Despite their best efforts, the co-pilot died in hospital after the rescue. A hospital spokesperson told Newshub the third person is still fighting for her life.
Lukla's Tensing-Hillary Airport, the main gateway to the Everest region, is referred to as the most dangerous airport in the world.
It's not yet known what caused the crash, but investigations are underway.
Newshub.
