21-YO Vadodara Braveheart Saved Drowning Man & 3800 Animals!
chaitra krishnanMA (Journalism & Mass Communication) Experience: 5 yearsChaitra has a triple main bachelor’s degree in journalism, communicative English, and economics from St. Aloysius College, Mangalore, and a master’s degree in journalism and mass communication from St... more
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Today, we live in a world where people record videos when someone’s going to die rather than step forward and help them. If you think about it, hundreds of assaults and rapes could have been stopped from happening if the people around reacted. Fortunately, among the silent spectators and pretentious protestors, we also have people like Bhargsetu Sharma. She is the 21-year-old NCC cadet whose bravery saved a young man’s life. Bhargsetu, who is also an animal lover, has saved thousands of animals by rescuing them and giving them the care they require.
She is a resident of Vadodara, Gujarat and is currently pursuing her Masters in Social Work. Her bravery and kind heart has made her a local hero. Want to know the story of Bhargsetu? Read on.
May 13, 2018—The Unforgettable Day
It was during the summer of last year that Bhargsetu Sharma saw the god of death right in front of her eyes. The then 20-year old NCC candidate and Indian army aspirant had just attended a training session for the Service Selection Board that day. On the same day, there was also a workshop conducted by Humans with Humanity, a community for animal rescue and welfare which Bhargsetu herself founded when she was just sixteen.
After the completion of the workshop, the volunteers wanted to go for a picnic and they asked Bhargsetu to join them. She agreed and they went to Mahi Sagar in Rasalpur for a short trip. “When we reached Mahi Sagar, I decided to swim in the deeper side of the river. Just when I was about to take the plunge, I heard screams. People were pointing out to the water and yelling, ‘Unko bacha lo’ (Save them),” recollects Bhargsetu during an interview with an online media website. There were two boys drowning by the deeper end of the river.
One of the boys were rescued by a local but his friend was not to be seen anywhere. Being an accomplished swimmer, Bhargsetu didn’t have much to think before diving into the water to search for the boy. “At first, I was standing at the highest point and tried searching for the boy. But, there was no movement or ripple in the water. As the crowd started panicking, I decided to dive into the river and continue the search. I swam for about 12 minutes, and as I neared the riverbed, I finally saw him. He was immobile, appeared lifeless. I couldn’t find a pulse and realized that he was going into cardiac arrest,” she said.
To help the man in the critical condition, Bhargsetu administered CPR (Cardio-Pulmonary Resuscitation) on him. Since his jaws were locked, she inserted her fingers inside his mouth to get the water out carefully without blocking his breathing. To Bhargsetu’s horror, the man started biting her fingers as he went into a seizure. Being an animal rescuer, she had been bitten by many creatures. However, she recollects being bitten by a human as the most painful experience. Bhargsetu didn’t stop even if the man was hurting her because she knew if she stopped, his heart would stop too.
The brave cadet kept slapping the man to keep him conscious and after multiple efforts, the man asked her to stop hitting him in a feeble voice. We can imagine the happiness Bhargsetu would have felt at the moment. The healthy man is now a student in Singapore. She became the Wonderwoman of her town within no time and won several awards for her bravery including the Governor’s medal and the prestigious Raksha Mantri Padak.
The Animal Lover
Bhargsetu is an ardent animal lover and as we said earlier, she started Humans with Humanity when she was only sixteen! Growing up in a family full of animal lovers, she always shared a close bond with them. She claims to have saved over 3800 strays and birds till today. When she realized that she couldn’t handle the number of calls to rescue animals from different locations with her team, she created a Facebook group for the same purpose. Today, the community has more than 80 members who strive hard to rescue animals in distress.
“We want to register the community as an animal welfare NGO, and continue to impact the lives of many strays and distressed animals,” said Bhargsetu. The 21-year-old was again under the spotlight after she appeared on Roadies, one of MTV India’s most celebrated reality shows. The show has definitely garnered more fans for Bharsetu. According to her if someone believes in something strongly and follows it with all their heart, they can be a change-maker no matter how young they are. Wow, isn’t that a wonderful thought!
The world is huge and is in dire need of people like Bhargsetu who can selflessly help fellow human beings as well as animals. Did Bhargsetu’s story inspire you? Have you ever considered social work as a passion? Let us know in the comments below.
