Pilot recounts 'DEVASTATING' Nepal floods: 'Never witnessed anything like that'

Okay. So, I guess just take me through. through your morning. >> So, uh early in the morning, I was not. scheduled to fly and I got a call from. my operations. uh our dispatcher informed us that there. was a flight to a town called Timure. It's the border town to China. So, uh the northern side of Nepal, the. northern border of Nepal is China. So, via Timure, you go to the Chinese side.

So, we were supposed to fly to Timure, which. is. a routine flight nowadays cuz there are. a lot of. uh pilgrims, a lot of tourists going to. China via Nepal. So, we were supposed to go over there. and uh bring in a few passengers back to. Kathmandu. So, around uh. 9 8:45-ish, I was at the airport and we. took off. As usual, we were two captains. flying together. Captain Subash and me.

So, I was the captain flying and the. other captain was the captain. monitoring. So, about 15 minutes out, the the total. flight is 20 minutes one way. So, about. 20 about 15 minutes after we took off, we were inside. Rasuwa Valley, Timure Valley. So, as we entered the valley, about 5. minutes before our landing spot, we. noticed. thick. dense uh. dust coming off from the river banks.

>> And in that moment, when when you looked. out the window and you saw dust, which. is probably not something normally you. would see, what was going through your. mind? >> Uh it was a beautiful day. It was the. weather was uh sunny and. we didn't think of anything else. As. soon as we saw the dust, uh he saw it first, my other captain saw. it first and he asked me if it was a. landslide. And then for a second for instance, it. hit me that it might be the the Nepalese.

Army. doing blasting all around the hill to. construct roads. I mean, it's pretty. common in Nepal. The Nepalese Army. blast the hillsides and then make roads. out of there. So, for an instant, that. hit me. And then I asked him, "Is it. And then, as we went closer within the. next 15 seconds, I could see dark water. with rubbles and everything getting. mixed with fresh white water. So, the. water coming from the northern side, from China side, getting mixed with the.

Nepalese side. So, as soon as I saw. that, I was like, "No, it's flash flood. right now.". >> And And when you When when you saw how. much water was coming down, what was. going through your mind? >> So, as soon as I looked down, I could see. the water hitting up to 5 or 6 m, I'd. guess. The flow was that violent, you. know, so. I could see. There are a lot of cars coming from. China to Nepal that are being imported. from that border region. So, I could see.

some cars being swept away. I could see. a lot of houses and trees being swept. away. So, the first thing there was, "Oh, People need rescue right. now." So, we were in a state of, "Okay, rescue needs to happen right now.". >> And And thinking about it that as you. were watching this water coming down in. such a violent matter, did you think. about who was on the ground? >> Yes, that was the first thing that was. in our head right now. Even as soon as.

we saw the floods, the nearest town to. us, which is 5 minutes away from the. Chinese border, is called Sabrubesi. So, our first instinct was to make a big. wrecky around that area. We were. wrecking there for the next 5. minutes-ish. So, we were looking at the places we. could land or take people out of there. or any other possible scenarios. we kept. encircling the area trying to assess the. situation. So, I was having while I was doing that, I. was having a conversation with my other.

captain. The people down there, they might be. hearing us, the sound of the helicopter, and they might be, you know, praying to God for the. helicopter to land over there, but due. to the flood, due to the thick dust, we. couldn't do anything. >> And how did that make you feel? I'm sorry to interrupt, but like in that. moment, knowing that you wanted to help, but physically you couldn't help, how. did that make you feel? >> Yeah, for the time being, we couldn't. help as we couldn't land or anything. We felt kind of helpless, but also we. were keen on.

uh transferring the information to. Kathmandu first. That was our first. instinct. We need to relay this. information to Kathmandu ATC ASAP. So, that was our first [clears throat]. thought. So, we tried to do that on our side. as as soon as possible. >> And to hear that there are so many. people dead and hundreds missing, how. does that How does that sit with you? >> It's a hard pill to swallow, you know. We were the first responders. I wouldn't. say responders, I would say the first. witnesses over there. We saw the floods.

coming in live, so it's a hard pill to. swallow. As you said, hundreds, maybe if. not thousands thousands of people have. been swept away, so. uh rescues have been going on, will be. going on tomorrow as well. And hopefully. we see some positive outcome, you know. We hundreds of people we're going to. lose hundreds hundreds of people on this. one. >> And and as someone who who actually saw. this, I mean, you were you were flying. around and you had maybe one of the best. views of this devastating flash flood,

how do you describe it to somebody at. home? >> Uh it's it's devastating, you know. It's. devastating. We had never witnessed. anything like that. Uh the captain who was flying with me, he was in the Nepali army for about 20. years. So, he's seen the worst of the. worst, and as he explained, he had never. seen anything like that before. So, seeing nature unfold like that, it was really hard for us, you know. We just wanted to get over there, help. people out, and get the other rescuers.

there as soon as possible. >> And you still might have very well. helped a lot of people by relaying that. information to to other people. I mean, did Did the authorities thank you, or. did they say anything about you guys. getting information out? >> Well, we tried to do our best. to be in Nepal. The terrain is very. challenging, so our first 5 minutes, as. soon as we saw the flood, we couldn't. get in touch with anyone in the traffic. zone. So, 5 minutes later, we heard an. airplane passing by who was on the same.

frequency. So, we called that airplane. on our frequency, and then we relayed. the message of floods coming in that. area, and the airplane pilot, he was the. one, he's the hero in the story. He. relayed this message to Nepalese ATC, and that's how the news of flood over. there spread all over the country. And. then, the few minutes later, I'd say 30. minutes later, rescue had already. initiated by Nepalese Army. >> Any message for anybody at home? I mean, I know this area is going to need a lot. of help. Is there any message you would.

give to the world right now as as Nepal. tries to dig out from this? >> Nepal is in a really devastated. situation right now, and I hope. all the families, everybody who's been. affected by this. I I wish peace upon their life, and I. hope the souls we lost today, they have. a restful life rest in heaven. >> Will you keep trying to help tomorrow in. terms of of being able to fly around? Is. there anything else you're going to try.

to do to to help the rescue efforts? >> We are scheduled to fly tomorrow as. well, early in the morning. We from. Altitude Air, our senior captains, Captain Vivek, Captain Andy, they will be taking off. early in the morning. So, just like. today, we'll be transporting a lot of. doctors, a lot of security personnel, as. well as. daily essential goods, so that we could. help people as much as possible. Today, we brought many people who were injured. back to Kathmandu, where we have a lot.

of hospital facilities, much better over. than the place which is affected by the. flood. So, all of this rescue effort. will continue tomorrow, as well. >> So, you've already rescued you helped. rescue some people. >> Yeah, a lot of people have been brought. to Kathmandu, not just from our our. company, but a lot of helicopter. companies. So, every helicopter company industry are. right now involved in this rescue, along. with the Nepalese Army, as well. >> Be sure to like and subscribe for all. the Fox News latest on YouTube, and. catch full shows streaming now on Fox 1.