Four persons perched on tree top rescued

Four persons, who had perched themselves atop a tree after falling into a swollen River Cauvery near Hogenakkal, were rescued today by personnel of National Disaster Management Authority and IAF.
Chief Minister Jayalalithaa, who came to know of the incident, directed that they be rescued immediately with the help of NDMA besides using services of IAF helicopters, an official press release said.
It said Mathappan was washed away in the Cauvery on Sunday but he managed to latch on to a branch of a tree in the middle of the river and climbed it.
Three small boat operators, who tried to save him could not succeed, but they also managed to cling to the same tree on which Mathappan was sitting, it said.

While NDMA personnel arrived there last night, they faced difficulty in rescuing them due to strong currents.
Subsequently, two IAF helicopters from Sulur in Coimbatore were pressed into service and the four persons were rescued and admitted in a government hospital in Pennagaram in Dharmapuri district for treatment, it added.