The bridge creaked and fell into the water along with the students and Durgadevi was one of them. The water was neck deep for her and luckily she could keep her face above water and push herself towards the safer side. While she was, she saw her friend Nandini drowning. She told The News Minute that Nandini was a very short person – she had completely drowned and many people trying to get out pushed themselves up using her.
“I don’t know to swim and I didn’t have a plan,” Durga said.”I didn’t even stop to think. I immediately went back down and pulled Nandini up and almost carried her to safety,” she added. Durga, being a nursing student, treated her friend’s injury with utmost professionalism. As she gained a good name from everyone in the college, professor suggested her name for the bravery award. Durga said, “When we came back to college that day, everybody was talking about this. My professor then suggested my name for a national bravery award and the application was sent. It is filtered at district and state level as well and in that process I was chosen for the Anna medal.”
This brave act of hers has left her family on cloud nine. “My parents have always taught me to help others. In fact when I told them about the incident, the first thing my mother asked was if the other girl was doing good,” she told. “Several people at the award function said this will help achieve my goals. To me, actual happiness doesn’t come from the award but from the thought that I saved my friend’s life,” concluded Durga who aspires to become a Maternal and Child Health Officer.
Durga received the Anna Medal for gallantry from the Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu on Republic Day.
