Kochi: “Either I would have died, or she would have been saved. That was the only thought in my mind.” With those words, 41-year-old private bus driver Ajesh summed up the split-second decision that turned him into a hero on Friday.

The Paravur-Angamaly route driver dived into the rain-swollen Periyar River from Manjali bridge near North Paravur in Kochi to rescue a girl who had jumped into the river in an apparent suicide attempt after reportedly struggling with NEET exam-related stress.

The dramatic rescue unfolded around Friday noon when Ajesh was driving his private bus along the Paravur-Angamaly route. As he approached the bridge, he noticed a small crowd gathered along the railing. Sensing something was wrong, he pulled over the bus and got down along with the conductor.

“When we reached, there were about five to ten people on the bridge. Someone said a person had jumped into the river. We looked down and saw a girl struggling in the water,” Ajesh recalled.

Heavy rains had left the Periyar swollen, with strong currents and rising water levels making any rescue attempt extremely dangerous. Though several bystanders had witnessed the incident, none ventured into the river because of the treacherous conditions.

Realising there was no time to lose, Ajesh sprang into action. “I didn't think twice. I removed my shirt and mundu and jumped straight into the river. If you stand there looking down, you start thinking. And if you think too much, you will hesitate. I only thought about saving that child’s life,” he told Onmanorama.

A native of Chalakka who grew up on the banks of the Periyar, Ajesh said years of swimming in the river had given him the confidence to face the raging waters. “I have been swimming in the river since childhood, so I am not afraid of water,” he said.

But the rescue was anything but easy. Battling the powerful current, Ajesh had to swim a considerable distance before reaching the student. “There was quite a distance to cover. By the time I had swum about three-fourths of the way, my hands and legs were getting exhausted,” he said.

When he finally reached the girl, she had already lost consciousness. “I lifted her up and water came out of her mouth. She groaned, and then I knew she was still alive,” he recalled.

With no boat or rescue equipment available, Ajesh pulled the unconscious student through the strong current and brought her safely to the riverbank, relying entirely on his endurance.

“I caught hold of her hair and managed to swim back to the bank. Because I could not hold her and stay afloat waiting for a boat as the currents were very strong,” he said.

Local residents immediately rushed the student, a native of Chengamanad, to a nearby hospital. She was later shifted to Government Medical College Hospital. Doctors said she has crossed the critical stage and her condition is now stable.

According to statements given by her relatives to the police, the student, aged 20, had been under severe mental stress after failing to secure the NEET score she had expected. “The girl told the doctors that she jumped into the river as she was upset over her NEET marks. We will have to take a detailed statement once she is fully out of trauma,” said a police officer attached to Aluva West police.

Despite risking his own life, Ajesh quietly returned to work after ensuring the student was safe. “I had to sit at the riverbank to catch my breath as it was exhausting. In the meantime, another driver took over and completed the trip. I went home, changed my clothes, came back and resumed duty,” he said.

For Ajesh, the rescue was never about being hailed as a hero. “It was a risk. Either I would have died, or she would have been saved. That was the only thought in my mind,” he said.