Administration for bravery awards to boat mishap saviours

KENDRAPARA: The district administration on Friday decided to recommend the names of two teenaged girls, who saved 15 precious lives in the Hukitola boat tragedy, to the Government for bravery awards.
Showing immense courage, 14-year-old Sabita Giri and 15-year-old Purnima Giri rescued 15 persons, including five children, from Nipania river, a tributary of Mahanadi, after their boat capsized on Wednesday evening, and brought them safely to the shore.  

Both the girls, who belong to Nipania village under Mahakalapada block, are students of Class IX in Ganyamayee High School. On the day, Women and Child Development Minister Prafulla Samal felicitated the duo for their heroic act and gave them a cash reward of `10,000 each in the presence of Kendrapara Collector Dasarathi Satapathy and local MLA Atanu Sabyasachi Nayak.

Risking their lives, Sabita and Purnima jumped into the crocodile-infested river after hearing the frantic shrieks of the drowning passengers in the ill-fated fishing boat. They swam towards the drowning persons, which included women and children, and brought them safely to the shore.

Names of both the girls would be recommended to the Government for State and National Bravery Awards for their exemplary courage, said the Collector. District Education Officer Kalpana Behera said the girls will soon be felicitated for their courageous deed by the local administration.

Sabita said, “We were in our home when the incident took place. On hearing the screams of the drowning passengers for help, we jumped into the river to save them as there were nobody around.”

The Minister also felicitated 40-year-old Budhadev Giri, Abhiram Das (70) and Balaram Das (32) for their contribution in rescue operations after the mishap. They also received a cash reward of `10,000 each.

As many as 10 persons, including eight children, met a watery grave in the tragic boat mishap. Around 56 persons of Hasina village in Kujang block of neighbouring Jagatsinghpur district were returning from Hukitola island after a picnic party when their boat capsized  near Nipania village. The boat was a small fishing vessel which was unlicensed and could carry a maximum of 15-20 persons.