Surta Parmar, a 38-year-old resident of Dharti Mata village in Rajasthan’s Dungarpur district, became the unlikely hero of a terrifying accident on Tuesday afternoon. While going about her daily chores, she heard a loud crash and rushed outside to find a crowd gathered near a pond close to her home. A car had veered off the road after hitting a divider, rolled down nearly ten feet, and plunged straight into the water. Despite the growing number of onlookers, no one attempted a rescue.
Realising the urgency, Parmar immediately stepped into the pond. Her 15-year-old daughter, Ayushi, followed behind carrying ropes. Inside the submerged vehicle were a couple, Dharmesh and Shilpa Yadav, travelling to Banswara for a wedding with their 11-month-old son, Drish. The impact had left the parents unconscious, and the car doors were jammed with the windows rolled up. Parmar grabbed a rod, broke the glass, and first pulled the crying infant to safety. She then dragged both adults out of the car’s back seat with the help of her daughter.
The rescued family was rushed to a nearby hospital. Baby Drish received treatment and was discharged shortly after, while Dharmesh and Shilpa were referred to Udaipur with multiple fractures. Doctors confirmed they were stable and out of danger. The family’s relatives later acknowledged that without Parmar’s intervention the outcome could have been tragic.
Inside the car, Parmar also found official documents and devices that Dharmesh, a Block Level Officer, had been carrying after an electoral roll review. The items were safely returned to the family.
Parmar, who grew up in difficult circumstances after being abandoned by her father as an infant and losing her mother at a young age, said she acted on instinct. For her, ignoring the cries of a helpless child and his injured parents was unthinkable. Her courage and presence of mind turned a potentially fatal accident into a story of survival.
