Puri: It was a narrow escape for former Indian cricket captain Sourav Ganguly’s elder brother Snehasish Ganguly and sister-in-law Arpita Ganguly as the speedboat they had boarded overturned and capsized in deep sea waters in Odisha’s Puri.
As per information, several tourists including the Gangulys, on holiday in Puri, were enjoying water sports when the mishap took place on Saturday evening. The incident came to light when video footage, showing how the boat overturned in turbulent sea waters, emerged on Monday.
The incident took place near the stretch of the beach opposite Hotel Sonar Bangla, close to the Lighthouse area. The tourists were enjoying adventure sports when a high wave hit the boat, causing it to lose balance and flip over in the sea.
Lifeguards deployed on the beach immediately swung into action and rushed to rescue the tourists on board. They used rubber floats to ensure the tourists’ safety.
Narrating the ordeal, a visibly shaken Arpita told reporters that the mishap occurred due to negligence on the part of the boat operators. She claimed the boat was unstable and lost balance as it was carrying fewer passengers than its capacity.
Stating that the sea condition was very rough, she said the boat was meant to carry ten people, but only three or four were allowed on board in the last trip of the day. “Though we express concern over rough sea condition, the operators insisted it was safe. However, boat was hit by a strong wave shortly after venturing into the sea and it capsized,” she said.
Stating that the government must tighten regulations around water sports in the region, Arpita said the authorities should determine whether the boat operator has a valid licence. “Tourist safety must be a priority in water sports activities. I plan to write to the Chief Minister once I return to Kolkata for a complete stop to these water sports,” she added.
“We have started an investigation to find out the circumstances leading to the mishap,” said Puri Collector Siddharth Shankar Swain.
Locals claimed that the speedboat was operated by untrained staff working under a private adventure company. The crew lacked proper skills to handle high tides, and the company ignored essential safety protocols mandated for such activities, eyewitnesses said.
It was further alleged that the company was conducting water sports operations without obtaining requisite permission from the Puri district administration.
