A daring effort in Tamil Nadu to save a mother and her kid from a gushing waterfall has received much praise on social media, even from the state’s chief minister, MK Stalin. The lady is seen hanging dangerously on a rock while hugging her infant in footage that has gone viral on social media.

The flowing water of the Anaivari Muttal falls in front of her makes it impossible for her to move. The Anaivari Muttal falls are a famous tourist site in Salem district, as per The News Minute, but excessive rains can cause flash floods in the area, as happened in the case of the woman and her child. 

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Officials from the forest department were able to reach the woman and her child using a rope, as seen in the video. People could be heard shouting on the other side of the waterfall while officials climbed slick rocks to save the two. They  were seen carefully lifting the youngster and then using the rope to help the mother climb to safety.

“The courageous act of those who saved the mother and daughter is commendable,” wrote Mr Stalin as he shared the video on Twitter Tuesday. 

While the mother and child were able to climb up safely, two of the rescue workers lost their footing and fell into the sea. The video goes off at this point, but according to many reports, the authorities made it safely across the river well. 

No death or injuries were reported in the incident, Salem District Forest Officer K Gowtham told Indian Express.

“The Anaivari Muttal is a designated eco-tourism spot. Rainwater from the Kallavarayan hills comes down as a waterfall here,” Gowtham said. “This is the Attur region; if the rainfall happens in the Karmandurai region on the other side of this hill, people won’t know it from here. Within 20-30 minutes, the flash flood waters reached the area.”

“It happens every year. This time, the water quantity was more. People were trapped on the side. There was no path, they could reach the other side only using a rope,” he added. 

“Since our people had already been trained for such circumstances, they rescued the members of the public safely. We immediately vacated the people and ordered closure of the area,” he said.