13-Year-old Boy Swept Away In Flooded River; Parents And Sibling Rescued

KEY POINTS

The father lost control of the vehicle he was driving and the family fell into the water
The police said the family had removed a barricade set up across the bridge
The victim, who had a hearing disability, did not know how to swim

A 13-year-old boy in India was washed away in a river while crossing a partially submerged bridge with his family.

Witnesses nearby were able to rescue the parents and the victim’s brother. The incident occurred Sunday in the southern state of Tamil Nadu's Chennai city.

The boy, Kumaresan, and his family were on a bike, crossing a partially submerged causeway bridge. The teen's father, who was driving the two-wheeler, lost control of the vehicle and the four passengers fell into the river.

Two good Samaritans, S Ravikumar, 32, and S Chakrapani, 41, who witnessed the accident, rushed to save the family. They were able to pull the parents and their 10-year-old son out of the water. But, Kumaresan, who suffers from a hearing disability, was nowhere to be found, The New Indian Express reported.

According to the boy’s mother, Kumarsan, does not know how to swim. First responders have not been able to find the boy. Witnesses at the scene believe the boy was swept into the river.

Fire and rescue personnel were called to the scene. They searched for the boy until 7:30 p.m. after which it became too dark to carry out the rescue operation. Authorities are still searching for the boy; however, witnesses at the scene believe the boy was swept into the river.

The bridge had been submerged since Friday afternoon after authorities released water from a local reservoir following heavy rains. The police said a barricade had been set up across the bridge, which the family removed to cross it.

The fire and rescue service said they had saved at least 10 people last year around the bridge after heavy rains flooded the area.

"Despite warnings, people continue to ignore our directive and take risks by continuing to use this stretch. It is not easy to cross the causeway with three people on pillion," an official involved in the rescue operation told The Times of India.

In December, good Samaritans rescued two children and a woman after their car’s driver lost control of the vehicle and plunged into a Florida canal. The driver and one other passenger died after staying submerged in the water for a prolonged period.