109 Stranded Villagers & 6 Ropes: A Naval Rescue Story from Kerala
Slt Pulkit Soni & his men joined six ropes to ferry 109 marooned villagers from one end of a stream to another.
Video Editor: Mohd Ibrahim and Vishal Kumar
On the morning of 19 August, Sub Lieutenant Pulkit Soni received a phone call from the Thrissur collector. A bridge had broken near the outskirts of Thrissur, stranding over 100 villagers and the Navy was required to step in.
When Slt Soni and his team arrived at the spot, neck-deep in water, they were greeted by a gushing stream that had managed to pull even trees along in its current. It became quite clear that launching the boat into the water was no longer an option.
What next, then?
Quickly thinking on their feet, the team swiftly joined six ropes and fashioned it into a ferry line across the stream, tying to the broken trees and pieces of the now-devastated bridge floating in the stream.
Within four hours, the team had managed to ferry across the 109 villagers, including infants, and senior citizens.
Slt Soni and his team received lot of praise on social media for displaying courage and grit at the need of the hour, and for their ingenious thinking.
As for Slt Soni, he says the mission would have literally been impossible if not for his men and their determination.
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