Best friend dives in to rescue classmate from drowning

"I would not have been alive if Shubhu would not have reached in time," says Vilas Jaiswal,14, who was pulled out to safety from the deep sea by his best friend, Shubham Jaiswal, 14.

The duo, who are in class 9 at a civic-run school study in the same division. In a bid to save his other three friends, Vilas jumped inside but the tide current pulled him further inside the sea.

A group of 10 school friends had gone to Dadar Chowpatty on Saturday morning to play kabaddi when Bharat Hanumanta,13, ventured into the sea to get rid of the sand on his body. Due to high tide, the current swept Hanumanta inside. Two brothers Anup Yadav,16, and Rohit Yadav,15, saw Hanumanta in trouble and rushed to save him but they too drowned.

Seeing them drown, Vilas then jumped into the sea to help them but he too began drowning. Shubham had gone to answer nature's call when he saw his friends helpless. He gathered courage and jumped in the sea as other school friends cried for help. The fishermen soon heard the boys scream for help and rushed to their aid. Unfortunately, by then, three children had already drowned.

"I went to answer nature's call and I was unaware that my friends were drowning. I heard Vilas scream and dived inside the sea and pulled him out. My efforts to save the other three were in vain, but I am proud that I was able to save one life at least," said Jaiswal.