SHILLONG: A 15-year-old boy from Umden village in Ri Bhoi braved the Umiam river to save four souls from drowning on August 12 this year, for which, he earned recognition.
Wallambok Rani was, on Friday, felicitated by leaders of Hill Farmers’ Union – president Commander Shangpliang and general secretary Alphons Kharsyntiew.
Kharsyntiew said that he will help the 15-year-old to apply for the national bravery award and lauded him for the selfless attitude.
Shangpliang, on the other hand, encouraged the widowed mother not to let poverty be a deterrent to send the boy to school, and encouraged him to go for technical studies.
Speaking to reporters, Rani said that he heard people shouting for help while he was fishing. He said that he did not feel frightened at all but made sure to carry the four victims to a shallow side of the river.
Revealing that this was not the first time he saved people from drowning, the shy boy said that he has so far saved six persons but no one knows about it for fear that he would be reprimanded by his mother. He is a school drop-out as his mother could not afford the expenditure related to school.
Rili Marbaniang, who was nearly drowned, said that she could no longer feel any solid ground beneath her feet and was also tired.
“My niece went to a rather deep area of the river and she reached out for help, my daughter was also there with me. My niece was tugging my jainkyrshah while my daughter was pulling my hair. I could not keep my head above the water. The more I moved away from the water, the strong current kept pulling me. I felt as if this was the end of my life, if no one came to my rescue”, she said.
Rani saved Marbaniang and her children Virginia and Habantei and her niece, Junesiful.
The Headman of the area, Skurming Jana, said that this year received very heavy rainfall and the water was released from the dam, which has happened after 3-4 years.
“The sudden release of water changed the course. The people do not know which part is shallow and which is not. Most of the time, residents of the village do not face any issues with the Umiam river”, he said.
On the other hand, he felt that the state government should help those persons who are skilled divers by providing necessary diving equipment to them.