Kerala teenager rescued after diving off bridge for reel shoot

PATHANAMTHITTA: In an unexpected turn of events, a 19-year-old jumped into a swollen river from a bridge while his friend was filming reels with his mobile phone. He was later rescued by fire and rescue services as well as local residents.

The youth, identified as Akhil, also known as Sudhimon, hails from Elimullumplakkal near Thannithodu. He jumped into the Kallar river from the Mundonmoozhy bridge near Thannithodu in the district on Wednesday around 3 p.m., even without giving any hint to his friend Abhijit who was filming him at his request.

As Abhijit informed others about the incident, fire and rescue personnel rushed from Konni while local residents and police also began search operations. This reckless stunt ended with a spectacular rescue operation carried out by firefighters and dive teams.

In the video which has gone viral, Akhil is seen running towards the bridge and jumping into the river.

According to a fire and rescue official, the teenager, who must have thought he could have carried out the act well, then lost control when he hit the water and struggled to stay afloat.

“Luckily for the youngster, he got stuck in a pile of rocks about a kilometer downstream. It was first spotted by a forest watcher who heard the youngsters crying as they searched the area,” he said.

The youth, who suffered a broken leg in the incident, was quickly transferred to a nearby hospital.