Ask R Ratheesh Kumar about his next dare and he is ready with a reply, “I want to replicate my feats in the English Channel and the creeks off the coast of Mumbai.” Kumar’s friends call him the ‘Dolphin’. That is because he loves to sink records by cutting across the treacherous waves in what he calls the dolphin-style–with arms and legs fastened with ropes.
The athletic adventurer is now preparing for a 400-feet dive into the sea from a helicopter, sans parachute and with limbs bound.
The 31-year old from Cheriyazheekal, a quiet fishing hamlet on the coastal stretch of Kollam district, has been demonstrating his daredevil acts across Kerala since 2002.
He has twice made it to the adventure section of the Limca Books of Records. And now, Kumar awaits an official nod for his latest feat. He recently broke his own record by swimming three-kilometres in the Arabian Sea, off the Kollam coast, with hands and feet bound, in just 44 minutes.
Kumar had initially scheduled the 400ft dive stunt for December last year, but did not manage to get the clearance from the authorities concerned. However, his sponsors, a local event management group, have now got the go-ahead and the event will take place during the Onam season this year.
As a teenager, the sea and backwaters were Kumar’s playground. “Those days, me and my friends competed against each other, exhibiting our skills and gradually I moved on to adventure swimming,” he says. “Now it has become a passion.”
His family, however, was mighty unhappy with his adventurous pursuits initially and quite understandably too. His cousin, an adventure swimmer and Limca record holder, Shyam S Prabodhini (23) had drowned in the Kollam T S Canal in October, 2003, while performing a daredevil stunt with his body and arms chained.
“Shyam’s death is still a nightmare, but at the same time it is a reminder of the need to take precautions,” says Kumar, who considers the late swimmer his mentor. “I always ask my sponsors to ensure the presence of lifeguards and life-saving equipment before undertaking a stunt,” he says.
And Kumar’s skills are not just for the show. As a lifeguard with the tourism department, he has saved 50 lives at the Kollam Beach. He is tipped to be the winner for this year’s ‘Best Lifeguard Award’ instituted by the state government.
Kumar’s first official recognition came in 2002 when he was selected to be part of the marine rescue team by the fisheries department during monsoon. “I worked with the department for three seasons,” he says.
He also conducts swimming classes for students as part of the various projects under the Centre’s Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan. “I have taught swimming to over 250 students and 150 police personnel undergoing training at various police camps,” he says.
As a trainer, Kumar says he is particular that all his students learn to swim in the backwaters and not just in swimming pools. “Swimming is a life-saving skill,” he says. “You should be able to save lives after learning how to swim.”