Puri: Body of the boatman, who mysteriously vanished during a dolphin-watching tour in Satapada, was recovered from Chilika Lake in Odisha’s Puri district on Thursday.
The deceased has been identified as Bikram Jali (55), a resident of Balabhadra village near Satapada.
According to sources, locals spotted the body floating in the lake this morning and informed the Fire Services personnel, which reached the spot and fished it out.
The incident occurred on Wednesday afternoon as Jali took eight tourists, including three children and two women from West Bengal, on a boat ride into the expansive waters of Chilika Lake. He reportedly slipped into the brackish waters near an island inside the lake and went missing while restarting the boat’s motor for the return journey.
After receiving an emergency call from the stranded tourists, police along with Fire Brigade personnel and local boat operators launched a rescue operation. The tourists were brought back safely to the shore, but the team failed to locate the boatman till 5 pm.
The tourists had then alleged that Jali appeared to be in an inebriated state during the trip.
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