Fire and rescue service personnel save man from Cooum river

Chennai: A 54-year-old autorickshaw driver’s overthree-hour ordeal in the Cooum river under Napier bridge turned nightmarish for the victim until the fire and rescue service personnel fished him out of the slush-filled river on Wednesday morning. Around 4 am, the victim, Subramani, went to answer nature’s call when he slipped and fell into the stagnant river, the police said. A native of Tiruvallur, he rides an auto in the city and usually starts work early in the morning from the Chepauk auto stand.

“We got a call around 7 am about a man stuck in the water. We initially thought it was a suicide attempt,” said R. Udayakumar, station fire officer, Korukkupet. Udayakumar, along with five of his personnel, reached the spot and began rescue operations. The fire personnel initially threw a rope at the man hoping that he would catch hold of it and come out. “But, he was too weak to catch hold of it and was shivering after several hours in the water,” Udayakumar added.

A rescue personnel then stepped into the river and tied the rope to his hands while the others pulled him out. The man was washed after he was taken out of the Cooum after which he recalled the incident to the fire personnel.

Subramani had parked his auto near Sivananda Salai and went to the riverbank under Napier bridge. “Since it was dark, I didn’t watch my step and slipped into the water. For several hours, I was shouting, but it was only after 6.30 am that some morning walkers noticed me,” the fire officer quoted Subramani as having told them. The auto driver was moved to Rajiv Gandhi government general hospital for treatment as he had inadvertently gulped Cooum’s sewage water. He was discharged later in the day, the police said.