The courage and presence of mind of some youths saved the lives of six villagers who were swept away following the sudden discharge of water from a Hassan dam, in K.R. Pet taluk of the district on Saturday.

The Irrigation Department had lifted the gates of Gorur Dam on Saturday morning to discharge water to KRS near Srirangapatna, resulting in river flooding.

Flash flood

Six villagers, who were washing clothes near Sri Lakshmi Narasimha Swamy Temple near Akki Hebbal, were caught in the flash flood after the water level rose suddenly. The incident gave anxious moments to many devotees of the temple and some villagers at the spot.

Before the devotees could alert the Fire and Emergency Services Department, some local residents — Ravi, Lokesh, Armugam, and others — swung into action to save them.

They jumped in to the strong currents and rescued the six villagers, sources at K.R. Pet Rural police station said.

The rescued have been identified as Lathamani, Komala, Mahadevamma, Rajamani, Cheluvanayak, and Lakshman, residents of Akki Hebbal. None of them knew swimming. Some local residents collected tubes and tyres from a nearby shop and threw them in the waters, said K.R. Neelakanta. Before the water levels rose alarmingly, the local youth saved them, he said.

Meanwhile, the villagers blocked the highway briefly for releasing water without intimation.