Navy's chopper pilot, who rescued 26 people from rooftop

Indian Navy's helicopter pilot Captain P Rajkumar, who shot into the limelight with his daring act of winching 26 people up from a rooftop during the 2018 Kerala floods, retired from service on Thursday after 33 years of distinguished service, a Defence spokesman said here.

The officer, a native of Nilambur in Malappuram district, is highly decorated having been awarded two gallantry awards -the Shaurya Chakra for his daredevil night time rescue mission undertaken at sea off Kochi flying the Seaking helicopter during Cyclone Ockhi in December 2017;