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Diya Fathima
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Lifesavers · Kerala

Eight years old, twenty feet down

When her little brother fell into the well, Diya Fathima did not wait. She climbed down a pipe into the dark water and held on to him until help arrived.

Diya Fathimaदिया फ़ातिमा
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Diya Fathima with her younger brother. Photo: via Manorama

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Narrated with an AI voice
Date
4 April 2023
Place
Mavelikkara area, Alappuzha, Kerala
Act
Held her two-year-old brother in a 20+ ft well until rescue
Honour
Jeevan Raksha Padak 2024
8years old at the time
20+ ftdepth of the well
2years: her brother's age

A sound from the well

Diya Fathima’s story is about a decision made in a few seconds. On the evening of 4 April 2023, in the Mavelikkara area of Kerala’s Alappuzha district, her two-year-old brother fell into a well more than 20 feet deep. Diya was about eight years old and in Class III.

Down the pipe

According to reporting by Manorama and Onmanorama at the time, Diya did not wait for adults. Holding on to the PVC pipe of the motor, she climbed down into the well, reached her brother struggling in the water, and held him against her body while gripping the pipe with one hand. Her sister ran to call people nearby; neighbours came down with a rope and brought both children out. Her brother was treated for a minor head injury, and Diya was safe.

Courage, and a safety lesson

There was no special equipment, no training and no plan. That is what makes this a rare example of ordinary courage: a child understood the danger and acted at once. But a story like this should not encourage children to copy risky rescues. Raising the alarm and calling adults or emergency services should always come first.

In January 2025, “Diya Fathima, Kerala” was named in the Government of India’s Jeevan Raksha Padak list. By then she was ten and in Class V, and she told local reporters she hopes to join the Fire and Rescue Services one day.

Sources