Assam: 11-year-old risks life thrice, jumps into Brahmaputra; saves mother, aunt

  • | Friday | 7th September, 2018

My mother can’t swim.”In the 20 minutes that followed, Kamal dived back into the Brahmaputra thrice to try and save others. “When the boat hit the pillar, my mother asked me to take off my shoes and swim to the bank. “When I got to the bank, I realised my mother and aunt had not been able to follow. The currents were so strong, I could only grab her by the hair, then I reached for her hand and pulled her to the pillar,” Kamal said. “I pulled my mother and aunt out of the water when I saw a woman in a burqa with a child in her arms, struggling to stay afloat.

GUWAHATI: Seldom do rescue stories have 11-year-old heroes. But little Kamal Kishore Das braved the Brahmaputra thrice over to pull to safety three people, including his mother, aunt and a stranger, who ultimately could not be saved.On the country boat that hit a pillar and overturned on Wednesday while on a routine round from North Guwahati to the opposite bank, Kamal was on his way back after dropping off his grandmother.As the boat capsized, his mother yelled to him to swim to safety. He did. Only to find his mother had not followed him. “When the boat hit the pillar, my mother asked me to take off my shoes and swim to the bank. I managed to swim ashore,” Kamal told TOI. “When I got to the bank, I realised my mother and aunt had not been able to follow. My mother can’t swim.”In the 20 minutes that followed, Kamal dived back into the Brahmaputra thrice to try and save others. The river was full spate; chaos all around.Without a second thought, he dived back into the water. “I swam towards the accident site and glimpsed my mother. The currents were so strong, I could only grab her by the hair, then I reached for her hand and pulled her to the pillar,” Kamal said. “Suddenly I saw a woman at a distance who looked like my aunt. I dived again and pulled her to the pillar,” he added.Wasn’t he overwhelmed or scared? “The current was very strong but I was not afraid,” he said.“I owe him my life. I knew he would be able to save himself since he swims in the Brahmaputra to practise twice a week,” Kamal’s mother Jitumoni Das said.But the little braveheart has one regret. “I pulled my mother and aunt out of the water when I saw a woman in a burqa with a child in her arms, struggling to stay afloat. I jumped back into the water and managed pull both to a concrete slab of the reservoir,” Kamal said.“Unfortunately, the child slipped into the water and was swept away. The woman jumped in to save her baby and was swept away as well. It all happened too soon, before I could do anything.”

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