KOCHI: Lt Rahul Dalal, navigating officer, INS Sutlej, was at Vypin beach near the lighthouse along with his wife on Friday. At 4.10 pm the officer noticed a person struggling in the water, unable to swim and was trying to shout for help.
A crowd had gathered, but they were not able to help the victim -Dileep Kumar from Aurangabad. Dalal responded immediately and went to the rescue of the drowning man, putting his own life at risk. Though it took him only a few minutes to reach the victim, it almost took him 20 to 25 minutes to bring him back to the shore as the undertow was strong. “The officer also had to deal with the desperate and panicked victim who was pulling him down, putting both their lives in danger,” the Navy spokesman said. The officer calmed the man, and made him hold onto his shoulders, after which he started swimming towards the beach. Dalal mustered all his strength and managed to reach the shore with the help of some locals.
The person was, however, not breathing and was unconscious. On checking his mouth, mangrove roots were found to be choking his air passage. It was cleared and he was administered Cardio Pulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) by Dalal. After he was revived, the police were informed and the victim was taken to a nearby hospital from where he was later discharged.