Kerala’s superheroes: Fishermen save countless lives

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Fishermen, who are used to battling adverse weather conditions, had to tap their full potential in different flood-affected areas of Kerala during rescue efforts. Despite facing varying water levels in completelyunknown places, they banked on their skills and luck to bring survivors back to safety.

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One of the teams from Valiyaveli centred their operations at Edayaranmula. “The weather was so bad but we couldn’t wait as the extent of disaster, we saw, was shocking. Often boats veered off course and we had to rein them in by holding on to rubber tree branches and sometimes even electric lines. We could rescue so many people including a person with an oxygen cylinder,” said Jack Mandela, a fisherman from Valiyaveli.

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A video which had gone viral in social media, showing an unknown rescue worker bending down for women to step into the rescue boat, has been identified as Jaisal K P, 32, a fisherman from Tanur in Malappuram.

Volunteers are carrying out rescue operations at Kunjithai

The team of fishermen from Arthunkal were directed to Alangad panchayat in Ernakulam. “We went to almost all homes in that panchayat. We would work from morning till around 11.30pm. In some houses there won’t be anyone visible, but, we would swim inside and call out for people believing that they would be trapped inside. That way, we could rescue a heavily pregnant woman and a baby she was holding to herself, she was too weak even to respond to our calls,” said Dominique Thomas, a fisherman from Arthunkal.

They had their share of horrors; like at Manjali where they saw a dead body with its arm tied to a staircase railing inside.

Volunteers carrying a country boat during rescue operations

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Dying phones and strange places made rescue extremely difficult. “Strong flow of water was a major challenge as we had to ride against the tide, besides some areas had an undulating landscape so we had to be prepared for sudden variations in water levels. Some of us had GPS and it was handy as we had no idea about the places where we were supposed to go and rescue people. Everywhere there was water and there were no landmarks left to identify places. Our team members had spread out, our batteries had died and we had no way even to contact each other,” said Jackson Pollayil, a fisherman who co-ordinated efforts from Alappuzha.

Boat is being taken for rescuing people stranded in Kerala flood.

The rescue also affected them as fishing boats which had run over broken branches and concrete blocks in the water suffered damages to their engine and frame.
“We are now concerned about the duty that has been entrusted to us. There have been damages, but as of now human lives matter,” said general secretary of national fish workers forum T Peter.
In Chengannur, one of the worst-affected areas, two boats enabled with GPS were deployed on Sunday. Ten boats were sent to Kuttanad on Saturday night where people in massive numbers are being evacuated.

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