A video recording has captured a group of men riding a motorboat just in time to rescue a drowning man who had jumped into the Ganges river to commit suicide in the Hapur district of India's Uttar Pradesh state.
The footage shows a motorboat rushing towards the man identified as Devinder Singh, who was drowning in the middle of the river. A man on the boat is seen pulling Singh out of the water.
What comes next is the surprise question asked by one of the rescuers of the suicidal man.
“Are you corona positive?” the man asks Singh before pulling him up.
“No, I swear on God”, comes the reply.
Men on motorboat successfully rescue man who had jumped into Ganga river near Brajghat in UP's Hapur district in an attempt to kill himself. Wait for it when the men on boat confirm if the victim is Covid-19 positive.
— Piyush Rai (@Benarasiyaa) August 9, 2020
"Bhagwan kasam nhi hai," pat came the reply.
Life saved 🙌 pic.twitter.com/XI6RCB6NBi
Singh was pulled out by the rescuers after his reassurances about corona. He subsequently broke down in tears when asked why he tried to commit suicide.
The rescuers' coronavirus fears come amid reports that several people in the country have committed suicide amid the coronavirus scare. There have been more than 300 suicides in India during the Covid-19 lockdown which have been classified as “non-coronavirus deaths”, according to a recent report.
