Jabalpur:
Among the many heroic tales that have marked the rescue and relief operations in Uttarakhand is that of a 47-year-old revenue official from Madhya Pradesh who was near Kedarnath with his family when it was ravaged by floods and torrential rains.
Sanjay Jaat had set out on the Char Dhaam Yatra on June 7 with a group of 70 people, which included his wife and three children. On June 16, they were a few kilometres from Kedarnath temple when the tragedy struck.
Mr Jaat immediately took charge of the situation and led his group to Gauri village. Several other stranded pilgrims and tourists also joined his group and reached the safety of the village. The army reached the group two days later.
In the village, Mr Jaat and his cousins helped the army build a helipad for rescue choppers to land. However, when the group was rescued, he decided to remain back and help out the officials.
"My family tried pressuring me to come with them to safety. But I refused as I wanted to help in the rescue operations in Uttarakhand as much I could," Mr Jaat, who is now in Jabalpur, said.
He stayed back in Uttarakhand for three days and assisted officials in relief work after which he returned home to a hero's welcome.
"I am very proud of my son that he, not caring for his own life, rescued people. And may be because of the blessing of the people he helped, he is now with us safe and sound," his father Ganesh Kumar Jat said.