NAGAPATTINAM: Being a good Samaritan does pay, and it has come as a surprise to B Ezhilarasi of Nagapattinam.
The 27-year-old MTech graduate from Kilvelur was given Kalpana Chawla Award for Courage and Daring Enterprise by Chief Minister MK Stalin during the Independence Day celebrations held in Chennai, for risking her life and saving two children.
Ezhilarasi lives with her husband D Keerthivasan in Kilvelur. On May 13, a family from the Thanjavur district visited Kilvelur for a commemoration event at a temple situated near her house.
The temple pond, owing to lack of maintenance, was filled with invasive growth. Two boys from the family, Saivishnu (7) and Sreevarshan (12), were playing near the pond when the former slipped and fell into it. Sreevarshan, jumped in to rescue his brother but was also caught in the vegetation. Saivishnu's elder sister who saw the boys in trouble cried out for help.
Ezhilarasi, who was on her way to the temple, heard the cries and jumped into the pond to rescue the boys. Talking to The New Indian Express, she said, "I do not know how to swim. However, I could not think about all that. All that struck me was I had to save the children. I used to be in scouts in my school days, and that was, perhaps, a reason. I held on to Saivishnu with one hand and reached out for Sreevarshan. After grabbing him, I thrust myself towards the bank. Luckily, help arrived from fellow villagers.”
Residents of the village appreciated Ezhilarasi for her bravery and she also received a couple of awards before the State honour. "This is all very new to me. But, this motivates me and my husband to work more for the needy," she beamed.
M Senthilvelavan, a 52-year-old teacher from Kilvelur said, "Despite not knowing swimming, Ezhilarasi jumped in to rescue the children, like how a mother would do. We are proud of her winning a State award for bravery.”