Long-line rescue – from Zermatt to the Himalayas
Lokendra Dhami is from Humla District, one of the most remote mountainous regions in Nepal. He works in emergency medical care and rescue support for the Nepali helicopter company Altitude Air. As a long-line rescue specialist, he helps people in remote mountain regions – in places where there are no roads, the weather can change in the blink of an eye and medical help is often far away.
A scholarship from Air Zermatt and the Sherpa Foundation gave Lokendra the chance to work on his rescue skills at the Air Zermatt Training Center. For him, this training is about more than just his own development – it’s a way for him to bring new knowledge back to Nepal and keep on improving the rescue work being done in remote areas.
Lokendra, what does your work in Nepal involve?
My day-to-day work is all about providing support in medical emergencies, going out on rescue missions, organizing patient transport, and working together with local teams in remote mountain regions. Patients are often very hard to reach because of the limited infrastructure. Our team also uses helicopters to transport materials and essential supplies to isolated communities.
What are the biggest challenges in your work?
The biggest challenges are the difficult terrain, the unpredictable weather, limited medical resources, and long transport times. Lots of villages are hard to reach. Modern rescue methods are not so common, which is why it takes not just technical skills but also good communication and cooperation with local authorities.
Why did you want to join this training program at Air Zermatt?
I wanted to learn about the latest rescue techniques, improve my medical knowledge, and understand how a world-leading helicopter rescue organization operates. I was also looking forward to exchanging experiences with experts from other countries and taking my new knowledge back with me to Nepal.
What impressed you most about Air Zermatt?
I was particularly impressed by the professionalism, teamwork and safety culture, as well as the dedication of the staff. In a complex mission, everything has to be precisely coordinated. The advanced techniques and methods taught during the course also made a strong impression on me.
What does this scholarship mean to you personally?
It’s a great honor, and a life-changing opportunity. Without the Air Zermatt scholarship it would have been very hard for me to be able to do a training course at this level. I’m very grateful for this support, and for the chance to learn from experienced professionals.
What aspects of the course can you apply directly in Nepal?
There’s a great deal I can apply directly in my work – better patient assessment, resource planning, risk management, teamwork, and structured mountain rescue procedures. I find long-line rescue techniques especially interesting, and I’d like to share this knowledge with experienced pilots and with my colleagues to help make our missions more effective.
How do you plan to share what you’ve learned once you get back to Nepal?
I’d like to share my knowledge through training sessions and practical exercises, and by talking to colleagues and local emergency response teams. My goal is to further develop rescue and emergency response work in Nepal, promote safer methods, and build local capacity for future operations.
Lokendra Dhami’s story perfectly illustrates the importance of international cooperation in mountain rescue. How training in Zermatt can have a tangible impact in Nepal. The scholarship from Air Zermatt and the Sherpa Foundation not only provides an opportunity for personal professional development. It also helps bring knowledge to where it’s urgently needed – to the mountains, to local rescue teams, and to people in the remote regions of Nepal.
You can find all the information about the Air Zermatt Training Centre here.
