Man coordinates his own rescue after suicide bid in Sabarmati

SLUG: From heartbreak to helpline Ahmedabad: On early Valentine's Day, at 3.35am, a line in the 112 helpline control room crackled. It was a distress call from a man. The twist: A few minutes ago, this 24-year-old man from Bhat village in Gandhinagar, had jumped into the Sabarmati near Karai Canal, over a heartbreak he believed he could not bear. He was now on the phone, wanting to be rescued.
In the pull of the cold water, he realized that life was too beautiful to be given up over such matters and gave himself a second chance. Remembering he had a waterproof phone, he dialled 112 while floating mid-stream, fighting the strong current. What unfolded next was nothing short of a cinematic rescue mission, with shifting locations and frantic calls. At 3.36am, within a minute of receiving the call, the control room flashed a message to Sector-17 fire control in Gandhinagar, which relayed it to the Bhat fire station. A team of divers and rescuers was on its way to the location the man had shared. The mission wasn't without its tense, nail-biting moments. Rescuers struggled to pinpoint his exact location in the dark. Although exhausted physically from staying afloat in the strong current, but alert mentally, the man, who wanted to end his life a while ago, was now guiding his own rescue operation. Fire brigade personnel coordinated with the 112 team, continuously calling him to trace his movement in the current. While trying to keep himself afloat, the man stayed on the phone, describing his position as under the bridge, and near the canal's bend. Around 4.45am, after nearly an hour of tense searching, the team located him midstream and pulled him out safely. Rajesh Patel, chief fire officer, Gandhinagar, said the man jumped into the river over a love issue. "He then realized he did not want to die. He was floating on the water and pleaded for help. The river has deep sections near Karai where one can easily drown," Patel said. Officials said they have rarely encountered a case wherein a person who had attempted suicide had also alerted emergency services by holding on until help arrived. He was taken to a govt hospital where his condition was reported to be stable. Police may record his statement once doctors permit.