Mission accomplished; rescuers retrieve infant from borewell after 10 hrs operation
Odisha: Rescuers successfully retrieve ‘dumped’ in borewell after 10 hrs of operation
Victim location camera air-lifted from Bhubaneswar proved handy in rescue mission
By Suresh Kumar Dash
Sambalpur, Dec. 13: Prayers of thousands of people bore fruit as a joint operation carried out by Odisha fire services personnel and Odisha Disaster Rapid Action Force (ODRAF) successfully retrieved an infant stuck in a 20-feet open borewell in Odisha Sambalpur district.
The newborn, it is suspected, was dumped by some unscrupulous persons in the borewell at Laripali under Rengali block.
The rescue operation started after some local people heard the voice of the infant at around 12 noon and informed the district administration.
“It was a challenging rescue operation. However, we are so happy that we successfully rescued the infant alive,” said the rescuers.
Soon after the rescue at 9.42 pm, the child was rushed to Sambalpur with a highly equipped ambulance.
A team of National Disaster Response Force (NDRAF) personnel had also rushed to the spot to chip in for the rescue operation.
Fire services director general Sudhanshu Sarangi informed that high-precision Victim-Location Cameras (VLCs), also known as thermal cameras, had been flown to the Sambalpur from Cuttack for monitoring the condition of the infant. The VLCs reached the spot at 8.55 pm.
As per reports, the infant was stuck in around 15 to 20 ft depth inside the borewell.
The rescuers said the intermittent cries of the child inspired them to carry out the rescue mission with renewed spirits.
Sources said the child has not suffered any serious injuries.
It was not clear how the infant got into the well, which is far from human habitation.
Report last came in said a 20-feet pit had been dug near the borewell to reach the stuck child. Fire personnel are trying their best to save the infant, sources said.
“It was a delicate operation. We left no stone unturned to rescue the child. Since we heard the intermittent cries of the infant, we were quite optimistic that we would be able to save its life,” said doctors present at the site.
Senior officials of the state government monitored the rescue operation.
