Mother jumps into dam to save 7-year-old son in Uttarakhand, drowns

Police official said that when the boat reached the middle of the dam, part of its side suddenly broke off.

A 30-year-old Uttarakhand woman drowned while trying to save her seven-year-old son who fell off a boat in the midst of Gularbhoj dam in US Nagar district on Thursday, said police

The woman could not be saved, however, her son was rescued. (REUTERS Photo/ Representative)

JC Tiwari, in-charge of Gularbhoj police outpost, said, “The woman was returning to her village Gularbhoj along with her husband and son by a boat after visiting their farm on the other side. The boat was old and was carrying over a dozen people, their bikes and firewood. It was overloaded.”

Tiwari said when the boat reached the middle of the dam, part of its side suddenly broke off and in the ensuing commotion, 7-year-old Himanshu fell into dam waters.

“Seeing this, the woman immediately jumped into the water to rescue her son. But she struggled and drowned. Her husband tried to rescue her but failed. However, he managed to rescue the child.”

The woman has been identified as Anjli Dogra, wife of Raju Dogra, a resident of Colony 2 in Gularbhoj area, said police. Gularbhoj dam is located 28 km from US Nagar district headquarters. Villagers who reside on the other side of the dam depend on boats to cross it.

The couple had boarded the boat to come to Gularbhoj after visiting their farm.