Dhamnagar: A 76-year-old farmer was rescued safely by Odisha Disaster Rapid Action Force (ODRAF) personnel Thursday after spending nearly 24 hours atop a palm tree to escape rising floodwaters in Bhadrak district.
The rescued farmer, Trilochan Sahu of Gundicha Sahi under Nadigaon panchayat in Dhamnagar block, had gone to his farmland Wednesday for agricultural work.
However, a sudden surge in floodwaters cut off his escape route, forcing him to climb a nearby palm tree to save his life. Trapped from around 10 am Wednesday until Thursday morning, Sahu endured hunger, thirst and fear while remaining stranded on the tree.
When he failed to return home, his family launched a search but could not locate him. His son, Saroj Sahu, later informed Dhamnagar MLA Suryabanshi Suraj about the situation. Under the supervision of the Dhamnagar SDPO, three ODRAF teams conducted an overnight search in the flood-affected area.
At around 9 am Thursday, ODRAF personnel, assisted by the local administration, located Sahu on the palm tree in the middle of the flooded fields and rescued him safely.
His safe return after surviving nearly 24 hours in the floodwaters brought relief and joy to his family.