BHUBANESWAR: A 55-year-old woman who had jumped into Kuakhai river was rescued by the Odisha Fire Service personnel after being swept away six km in the swirling waters, in a dramatic sequence on Monday.The woman was apparently in a state of depression. Minutes after talking to her daughter over phone, she attempted to end her life by jumping into the river on the outskirts of the Capital.Sumitra, who was staying with her son in Nayapalli area, had earlier boarded an auto-rickshaw and reached Kuakhai river bridge. Once she plunged into the river, the Fire Services personnel were tipped off by the police control room at about 12:30 pm.
The fire fighters reached the spot in 15 minutes and marked the direction of the current before launching a search operation to trace the woman.A 12-member team of Odisha Fire Service led by Deputy Fire Officer Ramesh Chandra Majhi conducted simultaneous search operations near the spot from where the woman had jumped off the bridge, and in the areas where the water was flowing due to the heavy current.
“Our operation also focused in areas where the water was flowing due to the current. We conducted search on both sides of the river and in the middle of the waterway by using a motor boat,” Majhi said.The woman was located just ahead of Tankapani Road bridge drifting in the strong current. The fire fighters jumped into the water from the motor boat along with tubes and approached the woman who was completely exhausted and was barely able to be speak. After being rescued, she was taken to Capital Hospital where she was provided medical attention. The victim was reportedly very depressed after her youngest son passed away in 2008 and over mysterious disappearance of her husband who worked with a Central PSU.
It was her daughter Rina, an employee with a private firm, who had spoken to Sumitra before the latter jumped into the water. Rina made every attempt to persuade her mother against taking any extreme step. She then sent a colleague to the spot. The colleague tried to prevent Sumitra but to no avail.
“As far as I know, my mother did not know how to swim. I am very happy that she is with us,” a teary-eyed Rina told this newspaper.