Student drowns trying to save four others

Police said the victim Subham Biswakarma is a resident of Danesh Sheikh Lane at Shibpur in Howrah. 

Minati Hazra, a local resident who witnessed the incident, said the victim was standing on the bank of the river. Everyone suddenly found two persons drowning while taking bath at ghat number 1 adjacent to the Indian Botanical Garden.

Two friends of Biswakarma, who are third year students of Dinabandhu College, jumped into the river to save them. But their attempt failed and they were also found drowning. In a bid to save his friends, Biswakarma, who actually came to take bath in the river, jumped into the water.

 His efforts to save his friends became successful with the help of few others. Some local people, who were also taking bath, helped Biswakarma to save the four persons and to bring them back to the ghat. The local people found Biswakarma missing after bringing the four persons onto the ghat. They became sure that he got tired while saving others and drowned. They tried to find him but after failing to trace him, they informed the police and his family members.

Policemen from the local police station in Howrah along with officers from the Kolkata Police’s River Traffic Section rushed to the spot. Divers were pressed and a team comprising officers from the Disaster Management Group had initiated the work to find him out without wasting any time.

Biswakarma had drowned at 9 am and after around one and a half hour his body was found near the ghat. He was taken to Howrah District Hospital where he was declared brought dead. His body was sent for an autopsy. A pall of gloom descended in Danesh Sheikh Lane with the death of the youth. The local people said that Biswakarma was known for various social activities and he used to help needy people from the area by taking them to hospitals.

“The same attitude of extending help to someone in trouble has become the cause of his death. The friends, whom he saved from drowning, were shocked knowing that Biswakarma had drowned after saving them,” said a local resident.