Unsung heroes helm rescue, relief efforts

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM : Braving inclement weather and risky conditions, a young air force officer dramatically winched up a toddler to safety from the rooftop of a marooned house in rainbattered Kerala, where thousands are battling all odds to survive as the floods have claimed 245 lives so far.

Wing Commander Prashanth slid down a rope to the terrace of the two-storey house, which seemed, from above, like a toy floating on the yellowish murky waters.

TV visuals showed the officer airlifting the two-year-old boy with care, pressing him to his body and winching him to safety.

The baby was handed over his anxious mother waiting inside the chopper, who expressed her gratitude.

Prashanth is one among many unsung heroes who have brought smiles to the faces of anxious and panic-stricken people of Kerala, reeling under the worst floods of a century.

Another TV grab showed some girls trapped in their hostel room for days without food and water making a lucky escape after an Indian Air Force helicopter came to their rescue.

They cried and hugged each other after all the stranded were safely pulled up into the copter on Saturday.

Commander Vijay Varma, who saved a pregnant woman in labour by winching her up in a helicopter from a stranded building, was later happy to hear that she had successfully delivered a baby boy.

“This was a very challenging task. We got an SOS and we traced them out...there is tremendous satisfaction, both professionally and personally,” the officer said later.

The social media was all praise for the exceptional courage shown by the Indian Navy’s Captain P Rajkumar who airlifted over 25 people battling challenging conditions.