Daijiworld Media Network – Puttur (MS)

Puttur, Jan 3: Vaneesh (10), a fifth-grade student, displayed remarkable courage and presence of mind, saving his own life and the lives of four others after their car plunged into a 10-foot-deep roadside ditch. The accident occurred when the car's driver, overcome by drowsiness, lost control at Kavu near Sediyapu on the Uppinangady National Highway around 5:45 to 6:00 am on Thursday.

The occupants were returning home after attending the Ottekola event at Mundoor. The car, traveling from Puttur to Uppinangady, swerved to the left and fell into a roadside ditch filled with water for farming. The vehicle got lodged in the canal with the driver’s side door facing upward and the other side submerged in mud. The driver was identified as Charan, a resident of Para in Ujire. The passengers included Charan’s father, brother-in-law, and two children.

Immediately after the accident, Vaneesh, Charan’s nephew, managed to escape the car with great difficulty. Unable to free the others, he quickly ran to the nearby highway, flagged down a passing vehicle, and sought help. All the occupants were rescued safely and escaped with only minor injuries. They were later admitted to a private hospital in Puttur.