Three lifeguards saved the lives of two teenage cousins at Fort Kochi South beach about 8.30 am on Monday. The 15-year-old boys, identified as Hadlin Rhodrings and Christin Antony of Mundamveli in Kochi were bathing in the water when they were carried away by the strong current.
P.J. Suresh, K.J. Serjan and C.A. Dennis, three lifeguards from Alappuzha, immediately jumped into the sea and saved the two boys from drowning.
According to sources, the boys did not know how to swim. Hadlin was the first to be swept away. “When Christin saw his cousin carried away by the waves, he moved towards him and caught his leg. But soon both were pulled down by the current,” said Suresh, one of the lifeguards.
The three lifeguards were training at the beach when the incident occurred and had a good chance of putting their training to practical use.
“First we saw only one boy. We swam to him and caught him by his leg. He told us that another boy was also being pulled under by the current. We took another dive and caught his hair. Within seconds, we had brought the boys to land,” he said.
Witnesses said the boys had been at the beach for just a few minutes before getting into trouble. They were given first aid and had recovered in half an hour. They were then taken to the Fort Kochi police station.