Kathmandu, Aug.26: After his near brush with death, Kanak Dixit, publisher of Nepal’s most popular fortnightly newsmagazine Himal, is making good progress is fully alert and in high spirits at a hospital in the city, family sources said Saturday.

“It is a miracle he survived,” said noted neurosurgeon Dr Upendra Devkota. Dixit is not receiving visitors, but is expected to be discharged for further recouperation at home soon. Dixit dislocated two thoracic vertebrae and had scalp injuries in a fall while trekking from Jomsom to Pokhara along a trail above the Marsyangdi River in  Lamjung district last week. Three rescuers including Kunda Dixit, Kanak’s elder brother, plucked the missing trekker from a perpendicular ledge overlooking the swift flowing river on August 23.

Unable to crawl back, Kanak anchored himself to a ledge to prevent a further fall into the river and survived for three days and three nights  on rain water; he lost his rucksack in a 50 feet tumble.

Rescuers found Kanak lying on his back and carried him with a help of a porter to a safe ground where he was immediately administered first aid, a rescue helicopter flew him to Kathmandu a few hours later for additional treatment.

Earlier, the rescuers were confident they were scouring the right area around Syange after confirming with passers-by if they had sighted anyone similar with Kanak’s features.

Concern for Kanak, an ardent trekker and rock climber, mounted after he failed to call home by telephone for several days after a 11-day trek around Annapurna, and the family decided on a helicopter search and rescue.

Kanak is publisher of Himal Khabarpatrika and editor of Himal South Asian.