In a "pretty amazing" act of heroism, 11-year-old Advaik Nandikotkur rescued a man who weighed more than twice his weight, from a swimming pool in Eagen, Minnesota, USA.
The 34-year-old was at the Eagan complex's swimming pool with his friends and family. He couldn't swim, but he was trying his hand by entering the shallow end of the swimming pool.
All was well until the 77 kg man got into the deep end of the pool at eight feet, and couldn't stay afloat. He was drowning towards the bottom of the pool, and it took the onlookers several minutes to understand what was happening.
According to a report by the CNN, Lalitha realised what was happening when she saw an unconscious man at the bottom of the pool, his mouth open and his hands stretched out.
She immediately called the "nine men" surrounding the pool, but no one jumped in to help.
Now, neither Raghu nor Lalitha know how to swim. Even then, Raghu jumped into the deep end with a floating tube, to try and rescue Srinivasa.
"It was pushing me up, and I was unable to grab him," Raghu told the CNN.
It was then that Lalitha asked her 11-year-old son, who weighs just about 30 kg, to save the man's life.
Srinivasa was obviously too heavy for the preteen to pull to the surface–weighing over 40 kgs more than the child–and the water pressure weighing them down.
But the young hero gathered all his might to save the drowning man.
He brought Srinivasa to the surface from where Raghu, Advaik's uncle, Suseel Kumar Nandikotkur, and other men pulled him to the edge.
Suseel, although not professionally trained in performing CPR, managed to resuscitate him.
It was minutes before Srinivasa moved his eyes, and then his hands, assuring the Nandikotkur family that he was alive and well.
Onlookers and the Eagen police investigating this case are all praises about young Advaik who saved Srinivasa's life.
Police officer Aaron Machtemes told the CNN, "I've never heard of a boy jumping in and saving an adult from a pool. Officers on the scene commented the man was very lucky to be alive."
The police department has also nominated Advaik and Suseel for a "Life-saving award".