Tarbha: Showing exceptional bravery, a nine-year-old girl jumped into a 25-foot well to save her little sister from drowning after she fell into it while they were playing in a garden near their house Sunday morning.
The heroic act of Jhilly Bagh (9), daughter of Laxmicharan Bagh of Kendumunda village in Badabhainra panchayat, 7km from here in Subarnapur district, has become the talk of the town.
According to sources, Jhilly, her friend, Reetanjali Bagarti (9), and her little sister, Milly(3), were playing near the house. The three-year-old girl was running around when she slipped and fell into the well.
Without any second thought, Jhilly directed her friend Reetanjali to alert her family members and jumped into the well. Although she herself was getting pulled into the water, Jhilly retrieved her little sister and with much effort caught hold of and clung on to the rope connected to the pulley – the device used to draw water from the well.
Soon enough, the girl’s family members along with other villagers reached the spot and brought out the two siblings from the well.
“A little delay and the infant girl would have drowned. However, the brave act of her elder sister saved her life,” said a villager as he heaped praise on Jhilly.
“Jhilly has given a new lease of life to her little sister. I’m really very proud of her,” said their mother.
The incident comes close on the heels of a mother jumping into a 30-foot well and rescuing her five-year-old son after he fell into it while playing cricket in the house’s courtyard in the Talapalipada area in Bolangir district.
The boy had accidentally fallen into the well while playing cricket with his friends Thursday evening.
Upon hearing her son’s screams, Champeswari Podha rushed out of home and jumped into the well to eventually him from drowning. The duo was brought out by firefighters after they had clung on to a rope sent down by villagers for several hours.
PNN
