Ernakulam: Abhinav Sujith, a 10-year-old boy from Kothamangalam has become the youngest one to swim across the Vembanad Lake with his hands and legs chained. 

The boy swam across the lake in one hour and 22 minutes to find a place in the Worldwide Book of Records. He started swimming at 8.40 am from Thavanakkadavu, in the presence of Cherthala Municipality Chairperson Sherly Bhargavan and Pallippuram Panchayat President TS Sudheesh. He covered a distance of 3.5 kilometres from Thavanakkadavu in the Alappuzha district to Vaikom Beach.

Abhinav who hails from Mathirappilly in Kothamangalam is the son of Sujith Kumar, a BSNL employee and Divya, an SBI staff. He is a Class 5 student at the Canadian Central School in Puthuppdy, Muvattupuzha. Biju Thankappan of the Dolphin Aquatic Club in Kothamangalam is his swimming coach.

Kothamangalam Municipality Deputy Chairperson Sindhu Ganeshan and Kothamangalam Congress Block Vice-President Anoop George together unfastened the chains from Abhinav's limbs, after the successful completion of his adventurous feat.

A felicitation event was also conducted, which was chaired by CPI Vaikom Town Local Secretary VN Pradeepkumar. Abhinav's Physical Education teacher Manu and swimming coach Biju Thankappan were also present in the function.