Erattupetta: Accidents are rife and many are rescued and brought back to life with timely help. But many are reluctant to commit themselves to any rescue mission amid threats to own life and legal wrangles. Ashraf Kutty, who is a native of Kottayam district, has no such fears and is a born saviour. He rushes to help wherever an accident occurs. Be it in the waters or on land, Kutty immediately reaches with his friends.
Kutty, a resident of Eettakayam in Erattupetta, had been like this from the age of 12. His latest action was at Mundar, where a country boat carrying two media persons sank in the Kottayam-Vaikom canal on Monday. The channel crew had gone to Mundar, an area surrounded by water and 7 km away from Ezhumanthuruth, in two motorised country boats when their boat capsized owing to leak.
Kutty rushed there with friends Faisal, Shamon, Ajmal, Akbar and Uhail. They started their search in the waters without any safety equipment, even before the Fire and Rescue Force deployed its expert divers. Their only equipment is a tube filled with air. He and his friends had with them only the tube as they rushed to Mundar. The Meenachil tehsildar provided them with a vehicle and other support, while the Fire Force gave them life jackets.
Kutty doesn't fear the waters because he had been swimming from the age of five. He has saved 11 lives so far and recalls sadly that he failed in his attempt to save another seven.
The police and Fire Force always seek Kutty and friends first because they are always the first available at any accident spot in the area. They had joined a bid to save students from Kottayam who fell into deep waters in Poonjar two months ago. Later they also helped with the rescue of a Kozhikode native in who fell into the waters in Mattakkat. Kutty and friends were also involved in shifting goods from shops recently during floods and for hauling vehicles out of flooded areas.
