Udupi: Salute! Govt driver, officials save two children from drowning

Pundalika Marathe

Udupi, Oct 23: In a brave act, Udupi taluk child development project officer with the help of his driver and other officials rescued two children from drowning on Wednesday October 23.
 
The incident occurred near Mattu in Katapady here. The children, identified as Shreyas (9) and his sister Shravya (11), fell into a pond near their house and began struggling for life. The government driver and officials who were passing by saved the two children from jaw of death.
 
Shreyas and Shravya, children of Hebri resident Renuka, sister of Ramachandra Rao, a resident near Mattu Srivishnumoorthi temple. They had fallen in the temple pond while playing. Though their grandmother shouted for help there was nobody around and the children had gulped water and were unconscious.
 
The government officials were passing by, on their way to the nearby Anganwadi center at Mattu. Taluk child development project officer Sadananda Nayak, Moodabettu primary health centre official Dr Krishnamurthy and nurse Laxmi were in the car. Noticing the children in the pond, the driver Guruprasad Shetty stopped the car and along with the officials rushed to rescue the children. Guruprasad jumped into the pond and saved the children from getting drowned. They were taken to Udupi’s Hi-Tech hospital after providing first aid.
 
The children are out of danger. They had come to their grandmother's during holidays and after riding bicycle, they got down into the slippery pond to wash their hands. It is said that the girl got into the water in a bid to save her brother who fell in first.
 
The locals praised the presence of mind of the driver and the officials.