A woman who fell into the Hussainsagar surplus drain early on Friday evening, spent the night in the murky water, her life hanging by a thread. She was rescued by the Disaster Response Force personnel under the Hyderabad Disaster Response & Asset Protection Agency the next day.

The woman, named Indira, is a resident of Bhagyanagar Colony of Golnaka. She was reported missing on Friday night, at around 8 p.m., and her whereabouts were not known the whole night.

On Saturday morning, after 10 a.m., passers by heard feeble cries for help and noticed the woman who was hanging to a branch 15 feet down in the drain. They immediately called HYDRAA’s helpline and sought help.

“As soon as we got the complaint, we rushed to the spot and assessed the situation. We also informed the Fire Services department, and got their help,” P. Swamy, in-charge of rescue operations in HYDRAA informed.

After falling into the drain, the woman was drawn by the current for some distance before she caught hold of a tree branch. She held on to the branch the whole night, and her calls for help were not heard by anybody as the location was very steep and covered by vegetation.

“The rescue was tough too. We used a ladder, but owing to nightlong exposure to contaminated water, her legs went numb, and she could not move at all. We had to literally carry her up the ladder,” Mr. Swamy said.

Ms. Indira was in shock after rescue and could not recall how she fell into the drain. Mr. Swamy said she was not found intoxicated or under the influence of any substance at the time of rescue. She did not receive any injuries, so was sent home to her family after the rescue.

Five persons from DRF, including Mr. Swamy, and three from the Fire Services, participated in the operation. This is the second notable rescue operation led by Mr. Swamy, who had earlier brought to safety nine engineers and workers stranded on a boat in the middle of Mir Alam Tank after the engine of the boat failed.