The rescue of a mother and her two children who were swept downstream in the Narmada River and were in danger of drowning was an accident which perished, but for the timely action by the three local boatmen of Omkareshwar. The incident happened at Kevalram Ghat where a family visiting from Vrindavan took a ritual dip in the river when their children strayed into the depths of the river.
Eyewitnesses said Srishti was thrown into the deep area of the river when she fell down. When she saw her daughter in difficulty, the mother made straight for the water and went in to rescue her. But she also got caught up in the strong current and was also starting to struggle. Soon, their 12-year-old son jumped in to assist his mom and sister but he was unable to stay afloat.
An unhappy and dangerous situation was promptly noticed by the surrounding boatmen. The local rescuers, Pankaj Kevat, Mukesh Verma and Vijay Dangode immediately rushed into the river and initiated a rescue operation. The three men did all they could to get to the members of the family to rescue all of them from the vessel, even putting their own safety at risk.
Fright and confusion arose among the large gathering of individuals at the ghat but the quick reaction of the boatmen saved likely the loss of many lives. A video has now appeared and is widely circulated of all the dramatic details of the rescue and how courageous, alert and “quick witted” the rescuers were.
The community has called the boatmen heroes just for their taking in time and, as a result, saving three lives. The incident has also sparked calls for improved safety and awareness about popular river bathing locations, particularly when pilgrims are in large numbers.