BHUBANESWAR: ‘Come hell or high water’ is a phrase associated with dogged determination and the fire service personnel of Kendrapara proved that on Wednesday by rescuing a 20-year-old pregnant woman from her village, trapped by 22 uprooted trees, and helped her deliver in their vehicle.
Amidst heavy rainfall and gale wind triggered by cyclone Amphan, the woman of Janra village gave birth to a baby girl inside the fire service vehicle on way to the hospital.
At about 9 am, when the storm was passing along the Odisha coast at its peak, Mahakalapada Fire Station received a call to help Janaki to a hospital as the ambulance was not able to reach the village with road blocked by uprooted trees.
Janaki’s husband Hatin Sethi called the ambulance at 6 am but it could not proceed beyond Mangalpur due to the obstruction on the road. A panicky Hatin then called the fire station for help.
Two teams were immediately rushed to the spot. Braving strong winds and heavy rain, they cleared about 22 trees felled by the gale on the road by using power saws before proceeding towards Hatin’s house, said an officer. “We were going to the hospital but my wife gave birth to a baby girl in the vehicle. I was very nervous but both of them are fine now and will be discharged from the hospital on Thursday,” Hatin told TNIE over phone.
The Fire service personnel put tremendous efforts to provide assistance to the woman. They took them to Mahakalapada CHC for further treatment and their timely and dedicated efforts saved two precious lives, the husband added.Hatin, a farmer, said the fire service personnel’s immediate assistance will be etched in his memory throughout his life.