Udupi: Responding to the difficulties of people who stand by those suffering in society is an act of humanity, said Rev Fr Denis D’Sa, parish priest of St Anne Church, Thottam. He spoke while handing over an underwater communication device to diver and social worker Eshwar Malpe on Sunday. The equipment, worth about Rs 7 lakh, was donated by Michael D’Souza Charitable Trust, Mangaluru, and will be used at underwater rescue operations.Eshwar has been a part of rescue operations across various parts of the state, helping find and save people who drowned. While carrying out such work, the absence of modern equipment at times put his own life at risk. Recognising his service, Michael D’Souza provided a communication device that allows a underwater diver to communicate with people on the surface. This will help him save more lives.Fr D’Sa also mentioned that Eshwar’s current house is old, and that Michael D’Souza promised to extend support for building a new house in the future. Eshwar said that when retrieving people who fell into water, divers often have to go down 30 to 40 feet. Communication with people above the surface is usually done only through a rope signal system, and there were many instances where his life was at risk. “Our team never looks at caste or religion while rescuing someone; our priority is to save the person. Through people’s prayers and blessings, we were always able to return safely from the water,” he said, thanking the generosity of D’Souza and expressing gratitude to everyone involved.Oswald Rodrigues, a member of the Michael D’Souza Charitable Trust, hoped that the new equipment would help assist many more people in need.It may be recalled that after noticing Eshwar Malpe’s service through social media and YouTube, Michael D’Souza sent Trust members Oswald Rodrigues, Steven Pinto, and Fr. Denis to visit Eshwar’s house and assess his situation. Realising that an underwater communication device was an urgent necessity for his rescue work, they immediately arranged the support.
