Mumtaz Ahmed, an award-winning lifeguard, and a resident of Jamia Nagar, who had a reputation of diving into the water of Yamuna to fish out dead bodies and rescue many for the last four decades, passed away on Wednesday due to heart attack.
Award-winning Delhi’s top lifeguard, Mumtaz, who started fishing out dead bodies from Okhla’s Yamuna and saving lives since he was 12 years old, no more: https://t.co/HeWPSLMur7 pic.twitter.com/4odnLBBTh3
— theokhlatimes (@theokhlatimes) September 15, 2022
A retired teacher of Jamia school and a popular face in the locality, 63-year-old Mumtaz Ahmed, was hospitalised for the last 15 days for getting treatment of heart ailment, but he couldn’t be saved and was laid to rest in Batla House graveyard on Wednesday.
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He saved many lives from the Yamuna and was known as the best swimmer in the entire area, said a resident who knew him. Recalling those earlier days, another resident said: “The Yamuna’s water was clean and fresh back then. Many residents would swim daily during the summer. The area wasn’t as densely populated as it is now — every open space has since turned into high-rise buildings.”
Though Mumtaz Ahmed’s act to save anyone from Yamuna was known but his daredevil act in 1995 of fishing out seven bodies alone and saving one life when a boat of Uttar Pradesh Provincial Armed Constabulary had capsized in Okhla made him a hero.
Following the act, he was honoured with a Jeevan Rakshak Padak and a reward of Rs 10,000 from the President of India. Over the years he won several awards.
Another incident that earned him widespread respect was when he recovered the bodies of two sons of a Saudi Arabian Embassy official who had drowned in the Yamuna. His bravery was recognised, with his story even making it into the national media.
Mumtaz, born in Okhla, retired two years ago after working in Jamia Middle School Self Finance as a PT teacher since 1987, said his family member.
But life was not a cakewalk for him. Despite his talent, finding a suitable job wasn’t easy. He began his career in 1986 as a driver at the self-financed Syed Abid Husain Senior Secondary School, affiliated with Jamia Millia Islamia. Fortunately, three years later, he was able to take up a temporary position as a physical education teacher at the same school.
Old timers at Jamia, who knew him personally, said whenever there was any incident of drowning in Yamuna people used to rush to Mumtaz house in Ghafoor Nagar seeking help and he never let them down.
Activist Md Sagheer told The OT that he was highly respected by the residents. Whenever there was a drowning incident in the Yamuna, desperate families, along with police or fire brigade officials, would come knocking at his door — day or night — seeking his help for rescue missions and he never let them down and was always ready to dive into the Yamuna, said Sagheer.
“He will be missed in the locality as he was a role model for many,” said Sagheer.
Jamia school teacher Haris-ul-Haq said he heard from his friends that Mumtaz fished out the first body when he was 12 years old and since then he fished out some 100 dead bodies and saved many from different water bodies of Delhi.
He has left behind three sons and a wife.
Activist Javed Khan said Mumtaz Ahmed’s skills were never truly recognised. Had they been, he might have secured a better job in the police or fire services, where his talents could have been put to better use.
Khan said Mumtaz Ahmed was an inspirational figure who selflessly served society. He never charged money for recovering bodies from the Yamuna — a difficult and demanding task, especially in times when no modern technology or equipment was available, he said.
