The Hindu : Inebriated man `jumps' into Cooum, rescued

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Friday, Feb 14, 2003

Southern States

Southern States - Tamil Nadu-Chennai

Inebriated man `jumps' into Cooum, rescued

By Akila Dinakar

CHENNAI FEB. 13 . A load worker in Varadarajapuram, Chintadripet, today `jumped' into the Cooum in an inebriated condition, creating a commotion in the area and triggering rescue operations to pull him out of the slushy water.

A team of fire service personnel from the Fire station at Egmore, tied two long ropes securing the legs of Rajamani (35) of Chinna Kulandai Street, to pull him out at around 2.15 p.m. It turned out to be a `filmi' scene with a large crowd watching the rescue operations from atop the bridge, even as the visibly drunken man was pushing aside the rope that was offered to him from above the bridge. However, after his legs were tied, the personnel who had come along with a fire tender got to the river bank and pulled him to the shore at 2.40 p.m.

Though there were loud comments from onlookers about so much commotion and furore over one drunken man who ran into the water from one side of the bank, the rescue team members said he knew swimming but was deliberately avoiding attempts to draw him to safety.

The man was at a dubious centre of attraction with photographers clicking away. He was taken across the road and two drums of drinking water were poured over him outside a teashop to serve the dual purpose of washing the slush off and to make him sober. As he was surrounded by family and neighbours, he was whisked away to the Chintadripet police station.

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