An ‘inflated’ solution to a jumbo problem in Kerala

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: In a rare instance, a fire and rescue team on Tuesday used a pneumatic device to lift an elephant that couldn't rise on its own after landing on a slope. Sivakumar, the elephant, was chained at Kanthalloor Mahadeva temple at Valiyasala here, when one of the links in the chain loosened overnight.
The elephant was trapped with its head stuck on a lower plane and legs turned upward. It could not get up on its own and the temple authorities sought the help of a fire and rescue team."Pneumatic bags are generally used in accident sites to lift vehicles and rescue injured persons who get stuck inside the vehicle. Here we used three pneumatic bags of different capacities and placed it underneath the head and body of the elephant. These bags were inflated to lift the elephant. The people and the committee members then used a rope to pull the elephant back to its original position,” said Vijayan T, fire and rescue assistant station officer, Chenkalchoola.