On 26 December 2004, Air Force Station was devastated by a severe earthquake which was followed by Tsunamis. Squadron Leader Panickar could not escape the fury and was washed away by the tidal waves. He held on for his life on a tree trunk, which was adrift for nearly an hour before reaching the safety of firm ground.

Immediately after surviving the onslaught of Tsunami waves, he organized rescue teams and started the arduous task of looking for survivors and recovering and identifying the bodies of the deceased. He personally went to several submerged areas to look for survivors. Looking for survivors in an area strewn with debris, unstable buildings, reptiles and a coastline redefined by the tsunami was a task, which required any individual to draw immensely from this internal resource of courage. Squadron Leader Sudhakar was among the very few who dared to undertake this task with total disregard for his personal safety. He subsequently organized the panic stricken surviving personnel, families and civilians into manageable groups so that a “headcount” could be carried out and medical aid/food could be distributed to those who needed it urgently. For the next few days, Squadron Leader Sudhakar took on the extremely difficult task of identification, documentation and cremation of the bodies. Handling bodies in advanced stages of decomposition is a task, which does not draw many volunteers. Squadron Leader Sudhakar was able to motivate a team of officers and airmen to assist him in this unpleasant task.

Squadron Leader Pulluvallyil Raman Sudhakar Panickar displayed exemplary courage and gallantry beyond call of duty in the face of severe adversity.