Namakkal: The steep rocky hill in the heart of Namakkal town on Monday turned a natural setting for a cliffhanger, as a 15-year-old lad tried to scale its peak in a state of depression, but screamed for help to climb down on being overcome by 'fear' of tumbling down the precipice.
An over hour-long high drama kept people here in tenterhook, as the youth Rathinasamy, piqued by his grandmother chiding him for frittering away his daily wage earnings, sought to climb to the top of the rocky hill. However, the lad got stuck in the middle of his mountaineering bravado, as some sharp edges and fear of a deadly fall took over his initial impetuous climb atop the hill in the hot sun.
Rathinasamy, police said, was being raised at his grandmother's home here and attending school as he had lost both his parents. Due to the summer holidays the lad took up temporary work at a cotton candy shop nearby where he was being paid `200 as daily wage.
After working for four days, Rathinasamy spent the entire Rs.800 amount, which earned his grandma's displeasure, police said. As she chided him for being 'reckless with hard earned money', a disheartened Rathinasamy decided to work for few more days in bid to recompense his grandmother.
However, when he went back for work today at the cotton candy shop, its owner was not there, which frustrated the lad even further. In a dejected mood, he began climbing the rocky hill but 200 metres above, he felt jittery, seeing the steep slope beneath him. Rathinasamy tried to climb down but got jittery and began to shout for help in distress.
Hearing his cries, people at the foothill alerted the local police and Namakkal sub-inspector Krishnamurthy rushed to the hill to bring him down safely. As the going got tough, the cop summoned the fire brigade personnel for help. A ten-member team rushed to the place and with the aid of a long rope struggled for over an hour to bring down Rathinasamy safely. At the end of it all, the police and fire brigade personnel heaved a sigh of relief and the lad was then safely handed over to his grandmother.
