Two-month-old baby rescued by NDRF constable

Team Udayavani, Aug 20, 2018, 1:11 PM IST

• Two minute nerve-wracking operation
• 3,500 people rescued

Kodagu: Though the rain intensity has reduced in a few parts of Karnataka and rescue operations are reaching their end, one story of rescue from Madikeri however, has caught everybody’s attention, including Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy.

A video has gone viral on social media depicting a National Disaster Relief Force (NDRF) constable carrying a two-month-old baby, gliding on a zip line, just inches above the fast flowing water. The two-month-old has been safely rescued by rescuers at Thantipala in Madikeri.

Initially, the rescue team from Karwar was reluctant to ferry the baby through the cable due to the concern of rising water level. However, after five people were ferried across the river as a trial run, the reassured rescuers agreed to ferry the infant. A constable managed to zipline the in infant to safety in a two minute operation.

Once on the safe side, the infant was taken to hospital for a checkup and later handed back to the parents.

3,500 people rescued

Even as incessant rains hampered the relief work, the Indian Army, Navy and other state and central agencies rescued about 3,500 people marooned in Karnataka’s worst flood-hit Kodagu district by Sunday evening, said Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy.

The rescued victims have been shifted to 30 relief camps and efforts were on to reach other hundreds stranded on hilltops. The exact number of people still stranded across the district could not be ascertained from the officials.

Since June first week, the coffee-growing district located in the Western Ghats mountain ranges has been worst-hit due to the south-west monsoon rains. The torrential rains have caused widespread flooding and multiple landslides damaging the arterial roads.

However, to the relief of the state government and district administration, rains in flood ravaged Kodagu and Malnad region in Karnataka have reduced in intensity, facilitating relief and rescue work.

Average rainfall in Kodagu was down to 6mm, while the highest was 47mm in Galibidu, Madikeri Taluk as of 6.30pm on Sunday