MALKANGIRI: A CRPF helicopter came to the rescue of a 45-year-old man who was stranded in the middle of Saveri river for nearly 24 hours after his boat capsized on Sunday afternoon.
The man, Irma Sodi of Katamateru village in Podia block of Malkangiri district, was airlifted to safety on Monday.
Sodi had reportedly gone to Sukma in neighbouring Chhattisgarh by crossing the swollen Saveri river on a country boat on Sunday morning. While returning, his boat capsized due to strong currents in the river at about 2 pm.
Despite the strong currents, Sodi held on to the branch of a submerged tree amid the surging water level of the river due to heavy rainfall. Subsequently, he managed to climb on to a nearby rock in the middle of the river.
On Monday morning, local villagers spotted Sodi stranded mid-river and alerted the local police. Later, the fire services personnel were informed.
District fire officer Kamal Lochan Gouda said, “We received information about the stranded person from the sarpanch of Matapaka at about 8 am. A 10-member rescue team from Podia and Malkangiri rushed to the river for rescue operation. However, we could not rescue the man despite our best efforts due to the presence of large rocks in the middle of the river.”
Later, the CRPF deployed in Chhattisgarh on the other side of the river were informed. Immediately, a CRPF helicopter from Jagdalpur reached the site and lifted the stranded villager to safety by using a rope. After being airlifted, Sodi was flown to Sukma and taken to the local hospital for primary health checkup. His condition is stated to be stable and he is likely to return to his native village soon, Gouda added.
Sources said Sodi and other villagers regularly visit Sukma in Chhattisgarh by crossing Saveri river on boat for marketing purposes.