Sadham Usean Ramasamy, a PhD scholar from IIT-Madras, came up with a device called ‘Inflatable Borewell Rescue Device’ for which he received a patent in September 2022.

He distinctly remembers the incident that motivated him to come up with this invention.

A two-year-old boy named Sujith Wilson had tragically died after falling into a deep, abandoned borewell near his house in Nadukattupatti village near Tiruchirappalli, Tamil Nadu, on 26 October 2019.

Though authorities commenced their rescue soon after the fall and spent more than 80 hours on the operation, the child was confirmed dead by the authorities once rescued.

Pic source: PTI

It’s an episode that never left Sadham’s mind, and everyday, he would discuss it with his mentor, the late Professor BVSSS Prasad at IIT-Madras.

“If a child falls into an open borewell, this Inflatable Borewell Rescue Device can be fixed to any vehicle or fire rescue vehicle. The child can be safely extracted from the borewell even at different hole diameters, positions, and borewell heights,” he shares.

The machine works by fixing the tripod on the ground surface, and comes with an air compressor and oxygen source that can be connected to the holder base.

The tripod ensures that the entire holder portion passes through the borewell.

To begin the process of lowering the holder into the borewell, wire ropes are slowly allowed to roll over pulleys, allowing the holder to descend the borewell by gravity.

To carefully monitor the child’s location, the device comes with a camera. If the child is not in an ideal position, it is necessary to adjust the clamper and rotate the holder to achieve the proper position.

When the holder approaches the victim, the oxygen supply valve opens.

A winch motor assembly allows wire ropes to open the holder hands as well as the cylinder with balloons as needed, and encompass the subject.

Once the subject is safely secured, the main rope is slowly pulled so that both the holder and the subject are safely lifted from the borewell.

Sadham, the son of a farmer in Periyanagalur village, graduated in mechanical engineering and went on to do his master’s in thermal engineering.

After working on a series of projects, he enrolled into IIT-M’s PhD programme in January 2020 where the Inflatable Borewell Rescue Device was one of his first projects.

And today, this device is bringing hope to many across Indian villages.

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