(MENAFN- Live Mint) Uttarakhand News: Two foreign women mountaineers , who were stranded at a height of 6,015 metres on way to the Chaukhamba III peak in Uttarakhand's Chamoli district, were rescued on Sunday in a joint operation by the Indian Air Force (IAF), State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) and the State Disaster Management Authority.

The mountaineers -- Michelle Theresa Dvorak from the United States and Fay Jane Manners from the United Kingdom -- were stranded since October 3.

Both the experienced mountaineers were brought to the Jyotirmath (Joshimath) helipad by the IAF and SDRF personnel on Sunday morning, said the District Disaster Management Centre.

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The joint operation carried out over the past two days led to their safe evacuation.

On Friday, two IAF helicopters had started a search operation to trace the two foreign women mountaineers .

They were joined by climbing trained SDRF personnel on Saturday to assist in the operation hampered by fog and adverse weather conditions.

On October 4, Chamoli District Magistrate Sandeep Tiwari had sought the help of State Disaster Response Force in rescuing them after the IAF helicopters could not trace the two women mountaineers.

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Dvorak and Manners were part of a foreign mountaineering expedition by the Indian Mountaineering Foundation.

According to the state emergency operation centre in Dehradun, the two got stranded after their logistical and technical equipment fell when they were at a height of 6,015 metres on the way to Chaukhamba III, located at 6,995 metres.

As soon as the information was received in this regard, a request was sent by the district magistrate of Chamoli to the Department of Military Affairs (DMA) of the Indian Defence Ministry for heli rescue of the mountaineers at 11 pm on Thursday.

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The State Emergency Operations Centre (SEOC) and the Uttarakhand State Disaster Management Authority cooperated fully with the IAF in the search and rescue effort.

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