Jalgaon: A 14-year-old boy saved the lives of four youths who were drowning in the Aner River at Ganpur in Chopda taluka. The boys had entered the river for a bath despite not knowing how to swim. Seeing them struggle, Umesh alias Om Ravindra Patil immediately jumped into the water and rescued all four.
The incident has been widely praised across the district. In recognition of his bravery, Ashok Jain, Chairman of Jain Irrigation Systems Ltd, announced that the company will bear the full cost of Om’s education.
According to information, the four boys, all around 16 years old, had entered a deep section of the river and began to drown. Om, who was passing by at the time, acted quickly and managed to bring all of them to safety.
Om is a Class 8 student at Vikas Vidyalaya in his village. He comes from a financially weak background. His parents, Ravindra Patil and Sarlabai, work as agricultural labourers and live in a small tin-shed house. Due to their limited means, Om has been facing difficulties in continuing his education.
After learning about his courageous act through media reports, Ashok Jain announced that Om’s future education will be supported jointly by Jain Irrigation Systems Ltd. and the Bhavarlal & Kantabai Jain Foundation.
Speaking about the initiative, Jain said that values and humanity are more important than material wealth. He added that the organisation has always worked to support underprivileged students and help them achieve their dreams by ensuring they are not deprived of education due to financial hardship.
