June 2025 will forever be remembered as a tragic month in Indian aviation history. But amid the heartbreak, one story has emerged that defies logic, challenges coincidence, and evokes awe — the story of Vishwashkumar Ramesh, the sole survivor of the devastating Air India Flight 171 crash near Ahmedabad.

When Flight AI171 plunged into the grounds of B.J. Medical College just moments after takeoff, it claimed the lives of 230 passengers, 12 crew members, and over 30 civilians on the ground. But one man — seated in 11A — lived.

Ramesh, a British national of Indian origin, was thrown clear of the wreckage with critical injuries. Emergency crews found him conscious and calling for help, and rushed him to Ahmedabad Civil Hospital. There, by a twist of fate that has stunned even hospital staff, he was assigned bed number 11.

“I don’t know why this happened,” he said in an interview from his hospital bed. “But 11A saved me… and now I’m in bed 11, still breathing.”

The number 11, often associated with spiritual alignment and awakening, has now become a symbol of inexplicable resilience in Ramesh’s story. While some may dismiss it as coincidence, others see it as a quiet sign of purpose, protection, or unfinished destiny.

As the world mourns the lives lost in the crash, people everywhere have found a small spark of hope in his survival — and in the symbolism that surrounds it. His story reminds us not only of life’s unpredictability but also of the rare and quiet miracles that emerge in the middle of darkness.

“Maybe God still has a reason to keep me here,” Ramesh says. “Maybe I’m here to tell this story.”