A team of the Odisha Fire Services Department had a harrowing experience rescuing a drunk youth, who got stranded on an islet in Mahanadi near Banki on Sunday night.
The youth, Chandan Behera from Ramchandrapur village, went to the middle of Mahanadi river from Sunadei ghat at around 11 pm yesterday. Later, two other villagers went after him as the youth had threatened to end his life. However, the trio got stranded on the islet after sudden rise in the water level in the river.
As the current was also high, the trio found it difficult to reach the ghat. One of them somehow managed to swim across the ghat, but an elderly person and the drunk youth got stranded in the middle of the river.
Upon getting information, a team of the Odisha Fire Services Department reached the spot and launched a rescue operation.
Though the team safely rescued the elderly man, they had a tough time to spot the youth as he hid near some bushy areas for long time. Later, he jumped into the river.
However, he was subsequently rescued after an intense operation that lasted for nearly four hours. He was subsequently rushed to the hospital, informed Prafula Majhi, Banki Fire Officer.