Girl's quick thinking and police intervention save man from taking life on railway tracks

In a dramatic turn of events, a young girl’s quick thinking and timely intervention by local police officers saved a man’s life on the railway tracks.

Durga’s Heroic Act

Durga, daughter of Ravi Achari and Chitra from Nileshwar, played a crucial role in the rescue. Ravi and Chitra are hearing and speech impaired, and the man in distress, a friend of Ravi, also has similar disabilities. At around 11 pm on Saturday, Durga noticed through a video call that the man was signaling his intent to commit suicide by lying on the railway tracks.

Realising the urgency, Durga tried to persuade him to move from the track, but he remained unresponsive. She quickly turned to Google for help and dialed a police number.

Police response and rescue

At 11:45 pm, Hozdurg Inspector P Ajith Kumar received Durga’s call. Recognising the seriousness of the situation, he immediately alerted the night duty officers: ASI E. Ramesan, Senior Civil Police Officer Shaiju Mohan, and police driver P Rajesh. They rushed to Kanhangad railway station, where they received the location from the cyber cell.

The police confirmed that a man was lying on the Kushal Nagar track, approximately one kilometer from the station. They arrived just in time to prevent a tragedy. The man had been attempting to hit himself with a stone when the officers reached him.

Detailed account of events from the police

ASI E Ramesan recounted the challenging situation: “When we got the call, we were patrolling west of Kanhangad. We made a video call to the man’s phone, but due to the darkness, we couldn’t locate him immediately. When we finally found him, he was hitting himself with a stone. We had to forcibly take the stone away and physically move him off the tracks.”

The officers, working against time, managed to rescue him just as a freight train was approaching on the other track. The man was soaked due to rain and was taken to the police station for safety.

Aftermath and community support

Following his rescue, the man was initially taken to the police station, where he was made to change his clothes. On taking him to his residence, he started to argue with his wife, who is also speech and hearing impaired. The police then brought him back to the station for his safety and later contacted his brother, who arrived to help.

Inspector Ajith Kumar praised Durga's determination, stating that her prompt action was critical in saving the man's life. He stressed the significance of community vigilance and the collaborative efforts of the police in preventing tragedies.