Sanjay Sah, a 30-year-old mechanical foreman, spent nine harrowing days trapped in a pitch-black, debris-filled tunnel after a catastrophic flood hit the Upper Trishuli 3A Hydropower Station in Nepal. During his ordeal, Sah survived without food by drinking floodwater and seepage from the mountain rocks. To protect his eyes from potential injury in the absolute darkness, he kept them closed for nearly the entire time, finding solace in the rhythmic chanting of the Hindu Maha Mantra. He credits this spiritual practice with keeping him calm and preventing the panic that could have cost him his life.

Sah’s rescue felt like a journey back from another world; he had completely lost track of time, believing only a few days had passed when he was finally pulled to safety. While he had initially tried to navigate the destroyed, unrecognizable facility, he eventually decided to stay put in a spot he deemed safe, a decision that proved vital when rescuers finally reached him. Though he is currently recovering and mourning the loss of colleagues he had urged to evacuate, Sah remains deeply grateful. His survival is a testament to his sheer willpower and the profound strength he drew from thoughts of his young family, keeping his hope alive until the sound of excavators finally signaled his long-awaited rescue.