23-year-old army officer dies saving soldier from drowning

A young Army officer, Lieutenant Shashank Tiwari, 23, sacrificed his life on Thursday while rescuing an Agniveer from drowning in a forward area of north Sikkim.

Lt Tiwari, a native of Ayodhya, had been commissioned into the Sikkim Scouts just six months ago after graduating from the Indian Military Academy in Dehradun. He was leading a “route opening patrol” toward a tactical operating base being prepared for future deployments when the incident occurred.

During the patrol, Agniveer Stephan Subba slipped while crossing a log bridge and was swept away by a fast-flowing mountain stream. Reacting without hesitation, Lt Tiwari jumped into the dangerous waters in an attempt to save him. Naik Pukar Katel also joined the rescue effort, and together, they succeeded in saving the Agniveer. Tragically, Lt Tiwari was carried away by the strong current.


Despite the patrol's urgent attempts to save him, Lt Tiwari’s body was later found about 800 meters downstream.

Displaying remarkable bravery, Lt Shashank Tiwari gave his life in the line of duty to save a fellow soldier.

[With TOI inputs]