Jeevan lives up to his name, saves a girl from drowning
Jeevan Antony, 19, reminds one of the little boy in Nayanthara’s latest movie Aramm. The boy who loves water as much as a dolphin goes under water when his father comes in search of him. Jeevan’s dad Antony, who is a fisherman, however, would have never thought his son who enjoys his daily swim in the Kallancherry river, would one day save a life, like the boy in the film.
Daisy and Antony, Jeevan’s parents are still in shock. “We know it’s a proud moment but our hearts skipped a beat when we heard he jumped from the Thoppumpady harbour bridge to save a 16-year-old girl, who tried to end her life. We still remember how a Navy man was swept away by the water two years ago while trying to save a woman and child,” Antony says, as Jeevan smiles bashfully.
The soft-spoken boy was returning home on Tuesday at 12.30 am along with his friend Kamil. As they reached the harbour bridge in Thoppumpady, they saw a crowd and heard that someone had just jumped into the river. “There were around 20 people but everybody just stood there transfixed. One man was heard saying that the person might have died on the spot and that there was no point in launching any rescue effort. Kamil and I were also in shock. Then we saw two hands emerge from the water. Kamil asked me what I would have done if it was my own sister or brother. Then I decided to give it a shot,” recollects Jeevan.
Jeevan and Kamil went under the bridge and Jeevan jumped into the water. “I couldn’t find the person initially. Then I heard a sound. It was pitch dark but I followed the ripples and caught hold of the person. She was heavy and tired. I didn’t even realise that it was a girl. I grabbed her and put her on my shoulders and started swimming,” he says.
Jeevan has no clue how far he swam but according to the police, he must have covered 150 metres, carrying the girl on his back. “By the time I neared the banks, I was really tired. I lost all my energy when my feet got stuck in the slush. There was another 10 metres to go but I couldn’t move an inch. I thought I would drown along with her but then a few people jumped in and took us to the shore,” he says.
Kamil and Jeevan are still surprised that everyone is lauding their ‘adventure’. “We went to do our job as usual the next day. I never thought I would become a ‘hero’ overnight. As Kamil told me, it is our responsibility as human beings to help those in need,” Jeevan says, giving all the credit to Kamil for inspiring him to take the plunge. “Kamil doesn’t know swimming or else he would have jumped first,” Jeevan adds.
A plus-two drop out, Jeevan does odd jobs to help his family. “Our financial situation is not that good so I have been working at a mobile shop and also at a fast food outlet. Kamil and I became friends while we were working at the mobile shop,” Jeevan adds.
