Humanity / Elderly Woman Swept Away In Jajpur, Found Alive 30 Km Downstream In Kendrapada

Pattamundai, Sep 27: A woman who was swept away by the strong current of the Brahmani River was rescued alive by villagers near Balipatana village in Pattamundai area of Kendrapada district on Sunday, a source said.

The woman, identified as Kesi Dalei, is suspected to be from the Bari area of Jajpur district. She was reportedly carried downstream by the swollen river before villagers spotted her struggling in the water and rushed to her rescue.

A group of villagers immediately took a boat into the river and pulled her out of the floodwaters. She was initially given first aid by a local ASHA worker before being shifted to the Sub-Divisional Hospital at Pattamundai for further treatment.

One of the rescuers, Rahul Nayak, said Kesi's ability to swim helped her remain afloat.

“This elderly woman survived only because she knows a bit of swimming. She did not drown,” Nayak said.

Another rescuer, Abhijit Sahoo, said the villagers acted immediately after receiving information that an elderly woman had been swept away.

“Today is Sunday. We were casually sitting in our village when the news spread about people spotting an old woman getting swept away. We immediately took out our boat and rushed to the woman,” Sahoo said.

According to Sahoo, the woman was gasping for breath when the villagers reached her and she had apparently swallowed water. They brought her to the village before taking her to the Pattamundai hospital.

Sahoo also said the woman was fortunate to survive despite the strong river current and the presence of crocodiles in the wider Rajnagar-Kendrapada riverine region.

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Speaking in a faint voice after the rescue, Kesi said, “These villagers rescued me with a boat. I was swept away.”

Her exact place of residence and the circumstances in which she entered the river were not immediately known.

The incident has drawn attention in the Pattamundai area as villagers try to ascertain how Kesi, suspected to have come from more than 30 km upstream, survived after being swept along the swollen Brahmani.