In a dramatic moment caught on CCTV in Kerala’s Kollam district, a construction worker named Shankar narrowly escaped injury after slipping from a second-floor ledge of an unfinished house. He was saved mid-air by his longtime coworker, Ganesh, who happened to be standing below.

The incident occurred on Tuesday morning when Shankar lost his footing while working on a concrete window shade alongside four other laborers. As he plunged downward, Ganesh—without hesitation—rushed forward and caught him. Both men tumbled onto building supplies stacked below.

Though Ganesh suffers from chronic back pain and wears a support brace, he sustained only a mild muscle pull in his right leg. Remarkably, Shankar was completely unharmed and returned to work shortly after the mishap.

Ganesh, a veteran in the construction trade with over 25 years of experience, has worked side-by-side with Shankar for 24 of those years. Recalling the incident, Ganesh said his reaction was purely instinctive and he’s grateful that neither of them suffered serious injuries.

In contrast to this fortunate escape, a tragic event unfolded last month in Thrissur. Sijo Timothy, a 44-year-old motorcyclist from Ollukkara, lost his life while attempting to rescue a kitten trapped on a busy road. Eyewitnesses reported that Sijo noticed a mother cat and her kitten stranded on the highway. As he bent to help the injured kitten—struck by a vehicle—he was fatally hit by a speeding truck.

Both stories underscore the everyday heroism and risks people take for others—human or animal.