MANGALURU: In an incident that will warm the cockles of the heart and typifying the communal amity in
Dakshina Kannada district
, a
Hindu youth
prevented a Muslim from drowning in the Nethravathi at Uppinangady on Friday. His timely presence of mind and action from the flood rescue unit stationed at Uppinangady, confluence of the Nethravathi and Kumaradhara rivers, meant that both youths went home richer by their experience.
Saleem Kalleri of Janata Colony, Kalleri who went to answer nature’s call on the banks of the Nethravathi accidentally slipped and fell into the river. Even as he was struggling to come out of the muck that he was caught in and gradually sinking,
Ravi Shetty
, a bystander unmindful of the risk involved, waded into the water and caught hold of Saleem and ensured he did not drown. The muck made it difficult for both Ravi to drag Saleem ashore.
Flood rescue unit personnel unit headed by in-charge home guard unit officer Dinesh B, informed of the situation, rowed to the spot in their inflatable rubber boat. Dinesh told TOI that as the spot where Saleem was stuck was close to the shore, they could not deploy the outboard engine and had to paddle their way in. In the interim, home guards threw a rope to Ravi which he fastened around Saleem’s waist and used the same rope to come ashore.
Dinesh and swimmer Chennappa on board the boat dragged Saleem onto the boat and brought him ashore. Bystanders helped fasten the rope to a tree on the riverbank, Dinesh said, adding the collective effort of all, including the presence of mind shown by Ravi helped salvage the situation. Incidentally, in May, Muslim youths too had risked their life to save Nishanth, a teenager from drowning in the Nethravathi at Bantwal, albeit unsuccessfully.