Narayanpatna: In an exemplary show of courage and fortitude in the face of adversity, two young men risked their lives to rescue five children about to be swept away by the swelling waters of the Jhnjabati river near Harijan Sahi of Narayanpatna in Koraput district on Sunday.
Exclusive video footage of the entire rescue operation lasting about five minutes available with OTV showed two youths - Harischandra Hiaal and Mohan Garda - adroitly using a bamboo stick to rescue the five children, who had mounted a huge rock inside the river to save themselves from the steadily rising waters as a result of heavy rains in the upper reaches.
Though more than a hundred people were watching the scene, no one came to their aid in rescuing the children.
“At about 2 pm on Tuesday, the children went to the river to take a bath. I was present there at the same time. Suddenly the water level in the rive began rising and the five kids were marooned. However, I and Hiaal managed to rescue the kids with some difficulty,” Gorada, one of the rescuers, said afterwards,
Thanking the two youths, a grateful Renuka Padhi, mother of one of the rescued kids, said, “My two sons were trapped in the river. I got back my child only due to the brave act of Garada and Hiaal."
The courageous act of the two youths is the talk of the whole area.