An elderly woman who was swept away by the fierce currents of the swollen Brahmani River was rescued alive by alert villagers near Balipatana village in the Pattamundai area of Kendrapada district on Sunday.
The survivor has been identified as Kesi Dalei, who is suspected to hail from the Bari area of neighbouring Jajpur district.
According to sources, she was carried a significant distance downstream by the raging floodwaters before vigilant locals spotted her struggling in the river and mounted an immediate rescue mission.
A group of local youths, including Rahul Nayak and Abhijit Sahoo, sprang into action upon hearing that someone had been swept away.
“We were casually sitting in our village when the news spread. We immediately took out our boat and rushed to the woman,” recounted Abhijit Sahoo.
When the rescuers reached her, Kesi was gasping for breath and had swallowed considerable water. However, her basic swimming skills played a critical role in keeping her afloat against the heavy current until help arrived.
Rescuer Rahul Nayak noted, “This elderly woman survived only because she knows a bit of swimming. She did not drown.” Sahoo added that she was exceptionally fortunate to survive, given both the blinding river current and the known presence of crocodiles in the broader Rajnagar-Kendrapada riverine ecosystem.
