Drunk Youth Disrupts Surat Trains, Rescued Safely

Surat : In a tense and dramatic incident early Friday morning, the Surat Fire and Emergency Department of the Surat Municipal Corporation (SMC) faced an unusual challenge after a mentally disturbed and intoxicated youth from Jalgaon, Maharashtra, climbed onto a pillar supporting the high-tension overhead electricity lines on the railway tracks between Surat railway station and Sahara Darwaja. The incident, which unfolded in the early hours, forced the suspension of power supply and halted train services for over three hours as fire officials worked to safely rescue the youth.

The fire department received a distress call around 2 a.m., alerting them to a young man precariously positioned on the pillar of the high-tension line above the railway tracks. Without delay, a team of firefighters rushed to the scene. Authorities from Surat railway station, the police, and the Railway Protection Force (RPF) also arrived, coordinating with fire officials to handle the emergency.

When the rescue team reached the site, they found the youth behaving erratically. He had removed his shirt, was dancing, singing, and moving dangerously close to the live high-tension wires. His intoxicated state made him oblivious to the peril he was putting himself in. Understanding the gravity of the situation, the decision was made to cut the power supply to the high-tension line to ensure the young man’s safety as well as that of the rescue workers. This led to a three-hour suspension of train services in the area.

Despite the power shutdown, the rescue operation proved challenging. Firefighters tried to persuade the youth to climb down, but he refused to cooperate. Instead, he ran around the pillar, occasionally throwing objects, including his shirt and even money and stones from his pockets, down towards the ground.

To reach him, firefighters extended ladders toward the pillar and stationed a train underneath as an added safety measure. Mahesh Patel, a senior fire officer, climbed the high-tension line pillar himself in a bid to calm the youth and coax him down. However, the youth’s intoxicated state made communication nearly impossible. His erratic movements continued as he remained unaware of the ongoing rescue attempts.

Finally, the fire officials decided to act swiftly. As a last resort, the youth was grabbed and pulled down from the pillar. He was caught by the fire personnel waiting below and promptly restrained to prevent any further risky behavior. Once safely on the ground, the youth was checked by medical personnel from 108 emergency services. The medical check revealed no injuries or underlying health conditions despite his high-risk behavior.

Upon questioning, the youth identified himself as a 35-year-old man who had traveled from Jalgaon in Maharashtra to Surat by train. His motives for climbing the high-tension line pillar remain unclear, but his intoxicated state and mental instability are believed to have been significant factors in the incident. After the rescue, the youth was handed over to the railway police for further questioning and evaluation.