In an astounding incident, a 68-year-old Kerala woman who fell into a gushing stream on Tuesday, miraculously escaped after she was carried by the water body for 20 hours. She did not suffer any major injuries.
On Tuesday evening, Annakutty, a resident of Marady gram panchayat near Muvattupuzha in Ernakulam district, slipped into a stream near her house.
"It was raining heavily from Tuesday evening onwards in the Muvattupuzha region. This stream at Parathattal is only a few feet away from a courtyard outside Annakutty's house. There was a very strong current because of the rains," says Binu Scaria, panchayat ward member. Binu was one of the first people to reach Annakutty's house when she was discovered missing.
The incident was confirmed by Panchayat President Latha Sivan.
Annukutty was carried down the Muvattupuzha river for nine kilometres until she finally managed to grab hold of a tree trunk stuck in the middle of the river bed.
By this time however, Annakutty had crossed the limits of Marady and had reached Ramanangalam, which is the neighbouring gram Panchayat.
Annakutty lives along with her husband, who is suffering from health issues. "Her husband had been partially paralysed and it has only been a short while since he started to walk again. Even Annakutty herself is under medication. They have a son, but he is mostly away at work, says Binu.
"It was on Tuesday around 6.30 pm when her son came back from work and discovered that Annakutty had gone missing. Her husband, who was resting in his room, told his son that Annakutty was in the kitchen. But they searched the whole house and she was not there. Some of us went over there at once. We could not find her anywhere in the neighbourhood and we guessed she might have fallen into the stream. By around 1 am, I personally went to the police station and registered a missing complaint," Binu says.
Early the next day, fire and rescue officials arrived at the spot and began search operations at the stream, but Annakutty was nowhere to be found.
"Around 2.30 pm on Wednesday, we got a call from the police station saying that some fishermen had found her near Ramanangalam and that she is alive," he says.
The fisherfolk were in their canoes when they noticed someone clinging to the trunk of a tree amidst the gushing water.
"It is miraculous! She had not even lost consciousness and had not suffered any injuries. She would have even crossed a check dam in between. We are not yet sure whether she knows how to swim. The waters just carried her without her getting stuck anywhere. Anyway, this is unbelievable because not many people who have fallen into the river have come out alive," Binu says.
Annakutty was immediately rushed to the hospital. "She told her relatives that she slipped and fell into the stream. We couldn't talk to her as the doctors said not to stress her, but she is alright and out of danger," Binu said.