Meet the 11-year-old boy who jumped into the Brahmaputra to save three lives

At the age of cricket and hopscotch, 11-year-old Kamal Kishore Das turned into a saviour. Putting his own life at risk, this Guwahati boy saved the lives of three people - his mother, aunt and another person on the boat, by saving them from drowning in the Brahmaputra river.

This incident took place in North Guwahati, when a boat that was carrying passengers from one bank to another collapsed on hitting a pillar, throwing all the passengers into the water. Kamal, however, swam to the safest spot but soon realised his mother and aunt were drowning. Seeing this, he swam back to help his mother reach the bank and then helped his aunt and a stranger.

In a conversation with The Sentinel, Kamal said,

When the boat hit the pillar, my mother asked me to take off my shoes and swim to the bank. I managed to swim ashore. When I got to the bank, I realised my mother and aunt had not been able to follow. My mother can’t swim.I swam towards the accident site and glimpsed my mother. The currents were so strong, I could only grab her by the hair, then I reached for her hand and pulled her to the pillar.

While he was busy helping out his mother, Kamal says he witnessed a mother and her newborn child lose their lives as they stood helplessly in front of the mighty Brahmaputra, says The Better India.

Also read: The inspiring stories of 8 children who won the National Bravery Award this year

Kamal is a Class VI student of St Anthony’s School in North Guwahati. According to DNA, the incident occurred when there was a snag in the boat's engine and it hit a rock near the bank of the Ashwaklanta temple. Only 22 passengers had valid tickets and the boat was overcrowded, with 18 motorcycles on it.

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