CHENNAI: A 35-year-old auto driver was on Wednesday washed away after saving a boy from the Cooum.
Jayaraj, of Surendra Nagar on Moores Road, and a friend were helping emergency teams rescue people stranded in heavy rain at Theedir Nagar along Greams Road. According to his neighbours, Jayaraj spotted a child being swept away by the flooded river. “Seeing this, Jayaraj and his friend jumped in to save the boy,” said Raja, who was involved in rescue work. They managed to get hold of the boy’s legs and pulled him back to the bank safely. However, while his friend managed to reach the shore, Jayaraj was washed away. Later, Fire and Rescue personnel reached the spot and began searching for him along the river bank on Binny Road, South Cooum River Road and Langs Garden Road. But Jayaraj was not found. The team said strong current coupled with heavy rain made search work difficult. Around 6 pm, the body of an unidentified man washed up at Napier Bridge near the Marina Beach. Police are trying to identify the body.