Mumbai: Traffic cop and warden rescue woman from river

Constable Machidarnath Chavan, 38, at the spot where he along with traffic warden Sanjay Jaiswal rescued the woman

A Spontaneous response and exemplary courage by a traffic cop and a traffic warden saved the life of a 72-year-old woman who accidentally fell into the Ulhas river on Sunday. The men in uniform risked their lives to save the woman who had fallen into the river near Gandhari Bridge at Kalyan.

The woman has been identified as Sunanda Borse, a resident of the Ritu Riverview Classic building at Gandhari in Kalyan West. It is said that she had come to the river to immerse discarded floral offerings. "People who noticed the woman warned her that the river was in spate. But without paying any heed, she went near the river to throw the floral offerings and fell down in the river," said a local resident.

Machidarnath Chavan, 38, a police constable attached to Kalyan city traffic police was stationed at the Gandhari bridge at that time. "I was on duty on Sunday at 11.30 am, when a person told me about a woman who was standing on the river bank and had gone missing. So without any delay, I asked my traffic warden Sanjay Jaiswal to join me to trace the woman," said Chavan.

The two men surveyed the surface of the water for any signs of the woman. "The river was in spate with strong currents. We searched the place and sighted a part of a saree floating. I entered the river and reached the spot near the saree where the water was up to my waist. I tried to pull the saree and found it to be heavy. We had found the woman," added Chavan.

Chavan with the help of Jaiswal pulled the woman out the river. "She was breathing but unresponsive. Immediately I pressed her stomach to expel the water from her body. Meanwhile, we called an auto-rickshaw and shifted her to Vedant Hospital where she regained her consciousness," said Chavan.

When the woman gave her information, the police informed the family who rushed to the hospital. Chavan said that the woman stays in a high-rise building and has two grownup children who are well settled. After the news of Chavan and Jaiswal's bravery went viral in Kalyan City, many politicians and social activists felicitated them.