Dhyanveer Singh Negi, 57, a Navy-Marine Commando, retired, has brought forth the real-life ethos of a soldier to his being in never being unprepared to confront death. Although he retired 24 years ago, Negi confesses, ‘I am a soldier. I can’t stand by and watch someone die.’ Very recently, near Gaur Green Avenue in Indirapuram, Ghaziabad, he was seen jumping into a river to save a drowning person in the middle of a crowd that was keener on recording the incident. It was these acts that underlined the hollowing of collective empathy: the compassionate hearts now lying as emotional graveyards.
Negi’s Courage Saves Drowning Youth
Around 4.15 PM on Monday, Negi, a resident of Indirapuram, found that a commotion was underway near a drain along Gaur Green Avenue. On getting closer, he saw a young man struggling in the water, with some onlookers making a video of the whole incident on their mobile phones. Negi, without any second thought, took off his shirt, gave his phone to someone standing on the road, and jumped into the drain after the floundering youth. He soon managed to grab the boy in those sewage waters and dragged him onto the bank. The boy was resuscitated from near death by Negi, who administered CPR. The father, who stood there bewildered, with tears of relief, extolled his gratitude in high measure to Negi for his heroic act.
Shri DS Negi lives in Indirapuram & is a retired Navy Marine Commando. He recently saved the life of a person who was drowning in Hindon Canal in Ghaziabad.
While the crowd was busy making videos, Shri Negi jumped in the canal without wasting time.
---Advertisement---Salute to the braveheart 🙏 pic.twitter.com/rpr5r1Y3G3
— Anoop Nautiyal (@Anoopnautiyal1) July 16, 2024
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Within minutes, two videos of the incident went viral on social media—one showing the boy in distress and a quick rescue by Negi, and the other showing an emotionally charged expression of gratitude from the father to Negi. As per eyewitnesses, the boy belonged to the family of a local e-rickshaw driver and suddenly, on an impulse, jumped into the drain while doing some fights/gestures during the day.
From Soldier to Trainer
Born in Pauri Garhwal, Uttarakhand, Negi had joined the Navy at Mumbai as a Technical Support Specialist (Electrical) in the year 1985, right after his high school. It was during his tenure in the Navy that he joined the elite Marine Commando unit called MARCOS. Now retired in 2020, he provides training at a Merchant Navy Institute at Noida in Sector 1.
Commenting on the incident, Negi said, “I saw people filming and taking pictures, but none had the courage to rescue the boy. Perhaps they didn’t know how to swim.”
It is only the nature of the event that amplifies—a regrettable trend in which humanity has to take a back seat and come after one captures the most viral content. It is just a reminder for each other that we need to sensitize it with empathy and real-life support, rather than going just for the virtual showcases.
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