05 August,2016 08:00 AM IST | | Santosh Wagh
Engineering student Bram Ronsse did not waste a minute before jumping into the Arabian Sea after he spotted two teenagers drowning at Girgaum Chowpatty; sadly, he could save only one of them
Belgian Bram Ronsse is not a very good swimmer, but that did not stop him from jumping in the deep waters at Girgaum Chowpatty to save two drowning teenagers.
Also read: Sikh man saves girl from drowning using his turban
Bram Ronsse with a constable at the Girgaum Chowpatty
However, he was able to save only one of them, as the other had drowned before Ronsse could reach him.
No lifeguards or cops were at the scene when the boys drowned.
Also read - Heroes of Murud: Fisherman, boatman risk lives to save six students
Sunny Dongre, who he rescued. Pics/Milind Karekar
The teenagers were part of a group of 12 friends from Sant Dnyaneshwar Vidya Mandir, Ghatkopar, who met for a get-together at the beach before their junior college began. The boys met on Thursday afternoon and enjoyed themselves by the sea, clicking pictures and playing in the sand.
Two of them, Ketan Shinde and Sunny Dongre entered the deep waters and as it was a low tide, the sea was going in, pulling them with it. Soon, they started shouting for help.
Jumped in
Just then Ronsse, who is visiting India to meet his friends, saw the kids shouting for help. "I immediately jumped in the sea and managed to pull one of them (Sunny) but unfortunately could not save the other (Ketan). By the time I returned after dropping one of them, I lost the other in the water," Ronnse told mid-day while he was on his way to Goa from Mumbai.
Also read - Delhi: Constables use their uniforms to save woman from drowning
"When I came back disappointed, I saw that a team of lifeguards and cops had also come as the other friends had called them. They managed to recover the body of Ketan, but he was not breathing. He was rushed to the hospital," Ronsse added.
A friend dies
"The two were brought to BYL Nair Hospital at Agripada and Ketan was declared dead there. Bram saved one life and was very disappointed, as he could not save the other person. He has done a great job," said Pandurang Shinde, senior police inspector, DB Marg police station.
Also read - Mumbai hero: Teen saves girl from drowning in Banganga Tank
Ketan's family had gathered outside the hospital and were blaming the other boys for not taking care of him and letting him go in deep waters. One of the boys from the group told mid-day that had Bram not been around, there could have been two casualties. "He did a very good job by immediately jumping in the waters and saving one of our friend's lives," he said.
Not a good swimmer
"Though I am not a very good swimmer, I decided to jump. I was sitting all alone at the beach. I hail from Ghent, a port city in Belgium, but am not a very good swimmer. I landed in India on July 22 and have visited Delhi, Agra and Jaipur and am now on way to Goa and Bangalore after visiting Mumbai," said Bram. "We wanted to felicitate Bram for his work but he had to catch a train to Goa, so without troubling him, we let him go," said Shinde.
