Internet bows down to Arnold Dix, hails Australian expert as hero after successful Uttarakhand rescue

Arnold Dix also bowed and prayed at a temple near the Silkyara Tunnel site. (Image: X)

After a harrowing 17-day ordeal of being trapped, workers on Tuesday saw light after they were rescued from the Silkyara tunnel in Uttarakhand. The moment brought a huge smile and tears of joy on the faces of the family members. It also saw Indians taking a sigh of relief after carefully following the updates from November 12, the day when the workers got trapped.

The internet is buzzing with people rejoicing right now and #UttarakhandTunnelRescue is one of the top trends on X. Apart from showing gratitude to God, several social media users also thanked international tunnelling expert Arnold Dix. The Australian professor who played a key role in the rescue operation is being hailed as a hero for his 24/7 technical support on the ground.

“Wasn’t his country - Weren't his people – Wasn’t his job. But, Australian Arnold Dix, President of the International Tunnelling Association rushed to India, worked 24/7 to spearhead the rescue operation in challenging conditions at this age. He treated those stuck workers like they are his own sons, kept talking to them, reassuring them. Prayed with the locals for them. Heroes are built different,” a user wrote.

Another user commented, “Faith can move mountains. Thank you, Arnold Dix.”

“Salute to Arnold Dix, the tunnel expert who made it possible to rescue the miners. Thank you. (P.S.: He is the only Australian who gave us good news this November),” a third user remarked.

A fourth user added, “Arnold Dix is a hero of countless hearts.”

“A wonderful achievement by Indian authorities. Proud that Australian Professor Arnold Dix played a role on the ground,” Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese wrote.

A wonderful achievement by Indian authorities. Proud that Australian Professor Arnold Dix played a role on the ground.href="https://t.co/RI1oSnaUkK">https://t.co/RI1oSnaUkK

— Anthony Albanese (@AlboMP) November 28, 2023

Australia’s High Commissioner to India Philip Green also commended the efforts of the Indian authorities and Dix.

#Uttarkhand. Special commendation to Australia’s Professor Arnold Dix who provided important technical support on the ground. #UttarakhandRescue pic.twitter.com/xznn61cbOw

— (@AusHCIndia) November 28, 2023

“It's been my honour to serve, and as a parent, it's been my honour to help out all the parents getting their children home. Remember in the beginning I said, 41 people home, and no one gets hurt by Christmas. Christmas is coming early,” Dix said while talking to reporters on the successful rescue.

#WATCH | Uttarkashi (Uttarakhand) tunnel rescue | On the successful rescue of all 41 workers from the Silkyara tunnel, international tunnelling expert Arnold Dix says, "It's been my honour to serve, and as a parent, it's been my honour to help out all the parents getting their… pic.twitter.com/3A7rqf02VR

— ANI (@ANI) November 29, 2023

“We were calm, and we knew exactly what we wanted. We worked as a wonderful team. India has the best engineers. It was just a joy to be part of this successful mission. I have to go to the temple because I promised to say thank you for what happened. If you haven't noticed, we have just witnessed a miracle,” he added.

Meanwhile, a video of Dix bowing and praying at a temple near the site also surfaced on the internet and won hearts all over.

#WATCH | International tunnelling expert, Arnold Dix offers prayers before local deity Baba Bokhnaag at the temple at the mouth of Silkyara tunnel after all 41 men were safely rescued after the 17-day-long operation pic.twitter.com/xoMBB8uK52

— ANI (@ANI) November 29, 2023

Earlier, while giving an update on the rescue operation, the Australian expert mentioned that the mountain was “protecting” the workers. “For me, it is like an ancient story. The Mountain is controlling everything. It is protecting those 41 people like a mother and not harming them. They're not injured, they are completely safe inside the tunnel. It's the will of the mountain which will decide when and from which door those people come out,” he said.

Who is Arnold Dix?

Arnold Dix is widely regarded as the world's leading expert in underground tunnelling. He is also the Australian president of the 79-nation International Tunnelling and Underground Space Association in Switzerland.

His career spanning over three decades is an amalgamation of engineering, geology, law and risk management matters.