On a serene fishing trip with his father, the last thing city shooter Kynan Chenai expected was to be in a situation that required him to save three lives. “It was an instinctual reaction,” says Kynan, who managed to save one of the three people caught in the strong currents of a river on the Indo-Nepal border.
By Samyukhta K | Deccan Chronicle
“I was on a fishing trip with my father. Across the river, we could see five picnickers playing around. Suddenly, we saw them fighting the strong currents. They did not know how to swim. While two managed to rescue themselves, three started floating away in the water,” he recalls the incident that took place in Panchmeshwar a week ago.
The sight of the three youngsters screaming for help deeply struck the 21-year-old. “By the time we reached the first guy, he was unconscious. But my dad and I managed to pull him out.” For a moment, Kynan was afraid that the victim had died. But on checking his pulse, hope returned. He responded well to resuscitation and lived. But the other two died, a disappointed Kynan informs.
One of the two who died in the incident was the survivor’s brother. They were a group of five hailing from Delhi. Kynan didn’t get to know the person he saved as he was too shattered by the death of his brother and friend. After dealing with the police, the three survivors chose to quietly drive away.
“I was trained as a lifeguard for three years. Moreover, I had my dad with me and we worked as a team. Without my dad as backup, I am not sure I would have jumped into the water and I am not sure how I would have reacted,” says Kynan.
“Rivers are the hardest to tame while seas can, at best, be described as difficult. In a river, you need to use the current to your advantage. I swam across the river using the current. Once I spotted the victim under water, I positioned myself in the current and then dove in. Using the same force I surfaced dragging the victim with me,” he explains.
Kynan and his 50-year-old father, Darius, stayed by the river for two more days. “It was a great trip for us. But I don’t think any of the survivors will ever return,” says Kynan.