Perumbavoor: Three youths were stranded in the Periyar River for nearly eight hours after the water level rose sharply on Sunday night. They were later rescued by a member of the Civil Defence team under the Fire and Rescue Department.
The stranded men, identified as Ananthu Suresh (30), Ashik (22) and Thomas (40), all natives of Koovappadi, were rescued by Vinod (44) of Pallathu Veettil, Thottuva, a Civil Defence volunteer.

The incident occurred around 750 metres from the Kodanad Bridge. The trio had entered the river around 8 pm on Sunday to fish using nets. At that time, the water level was low, allowing them to wade through the riverbed. However, following heavy rainfall upstream, the water level began to rise rapidly and the current grew stronger, leaving them trapped on a small islet in the middle of the river.

By early Monday morning, local residents spotted the stranded men and alerted Vinod. Undeterred by the strong currents, he launched a motorised country boat and navigated through the surging waters to reach the islet, bringing all three safely back to shore.

The exhausted men said they had spent the entire night on the islet, terrified as the river swelled around them. Fortunately, the water level did not rise further during the night. Once ashore, local residents offered them black coffee and comforted them. After regaining strength, they were taken home by around 10 am.

Vinod, who runs a shop named DTH World at Thottuva Junction, has received several honours, including a Badge of Honour from the Fire and Rescue Department for his service.