A remarkable act of courage and presence of mind by a homemaker saved her husband from drowning after he accidentally fell headfirst into a 40-foot-deep well while plucking pepper in Piravom, Kerala.
Risking her safety, the woman climbed into the well using a rope and held onto her husband -- who was on the verge of losing consciousness -- keeping him from drowning until fire and rescue personnel arrived on Wednesday.
Television channels later aired visuals of the couple being safely pulled out of the well by officials.
The incident occurred in the morning when Rameshan (64), a local resident, was plucking pepper from a tree in his backyard.
Suddenly, a branch broke, causing him to fall into the adjacent well along with it.
According to fire department personnel, Rameshan had pre-existing health issues and was nearly unconscious due to the impact of the fall.
Upon seeing her husband fall, Padmam (56) immediately grabbed a rope and climbed down into the well, holding onto it.
"Her hands were completely bruised as she clung to the rope. Her only focus was to save her husband. She kept him afloat in the chest-high water," a fire department officer told the media.
The couple remained in the well for nearly 15-20 minutes before being rescued, the fire department officer said.
Due to the well's depth, the couple was barely visible from above, he added.
Although the officials offered to enter the well and use a rescue net to lift him out, Padmam insisted she could manage on her own.
"She lifted her husband into the rescue net herself before the personnel pulled him out. She then climbed out in the next turn," the fire department officer said.
He further stated that it was solely due to the woman's courage and quick thinking that her husband's life was saved.
The couple sustained no major injuries. The man was reportedly taken to a hospital later.
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