I'm going to point to Svetlana Oss's "Don't Go There" pages 66-68:
pp.66
"It was Vladimir Askinadze’s probe that damaged Dubinina’s body.
Askinadze recently published a letter in Ural Pathfinder magazine, in which
he recalls that the distance between all the heads of those found in the brook
was about 30 cm (about 11.5 inches) – they were all very close to each other.
As for Dubinina, he says her head was laying down on a kind of a
natural ledge with water rolling over it. Her mouth was open.
When we tried to pull them out, we saw Zolotariov had a notebook
in one hand and a pen in the other. Ortukov saw this, grabbed the book,
read it and immediately cursed Zolotariov with a disparaging word and
said: ‘He’s written nothing.’
Was this really the case, or did he not want others to know what was
written in the notebook? George Ortukov was the Army Colonel in charge of
logistics and helicopter support. Putting aside for now the possibility of
concealment, this is a highly significant comment if it corroborates the timing
of the commencement of the disaster. He shouts in disappointment that the last
entries in the diary offer no clues and make no mention of problems. It was
pp.67
written in the absence of strangeness or fear.
Askinadze also states that it was hard to identify the bodies as they
uncovered them, and it was Ortukov who was saying ‘this is x, and here is y’.
‘We were surprised,’ Askinadze said, ‘because it was really hard to see,
and no one could object or disagree.’
Askinadze also mentioned that while he was present during that period,
he felt very strongly that those in charge were not really interested in a proper
investigation. He remembers that the investigator Lev Ivanov ‘did not even
approach the pad of branches, didn’t take pictures, it seemed they already had
an explanation’. Askinadze extends this accusation to Ortukov, who was in
charge of the whole rescue operation. He wrote: ‘If it was really so important
to get this right, why didn’t they call for Yuri Yudin? He was the only one that
knew them all, and could say for sure. I only knew Zina.’
But nothing like this was done, and everything was rushed. This rush
was from someone above – from Moscow, Sverdlovsk, or Ivdel. The
atmosphere was very tense. Everyone was anxious for answers and waiting for
news.
Ortukov and some soldiers took all the bodies from the stream, carried
them up the bank and placed them on special stretchers to drag them across the
snow, then took them up to the pass and the helicopter pad. It was hard work,
and they repeated the same process four times. A helicopter met them on the
pass, but the pilots refused to take the bodies on board, complaining this was
outside their official duties. It has been said that the pilots knew the bodies
were poisoned with radiation and, for this reason, didn’t want them in the
aircraft.
Ortukov sent a radio message, complaining
This is a scandal! I and fourteen other people brought these bodies
on our shoulders and they refused to take the bodies in spite of me
insisting. As a Communist I am outraged by the behaviour of the crew and
ask you to inform the Communist Party leader about it. And I have to
mention to you for clarity, these bodies are frozen. We packed them for
transportation and there was no reason to refuse to take them. The medical
expert refused to examine or to cut the bodies here on site. It is absolutely
not dangerous from the point of hygiene. They are folded and covered in
special impervious material. The crew said they would not transport them
until they are in Zinc coffins.
pp. 68
At this time Colonel Ortukov was exhausted and at his limit. He took out
his pistol and tried to threaten the crew. Vladimir Askinadze intervened, after
which the medical expert reorganized how the bodies should be packed for
transportation, and they were finally sent.
Old Colonel Georg-y Porge-y really puts a thorn in my foot with the entire investigation as Svetlana Oss tells the tale...