Hyderabad: About 30 picnickers and holidayers out for a pleasant evening experienced terrifying moments on Tuesday in the Hussainsagar when gusty winds and a thunderstorm pushed Bhagmati, the boat they were on, to the Boat Club Building. The boat’s engine had stalled in the rain, causing it to lose power, officials said. The incident occurred at about 8.30 pm.
Sridhar Rishi, a member of The Hyderabad Boat Club, who witnessed the incident, said: "The winds were strong, and pushed the boat, which was swaying violently towards the club’s building. The deck brushed against the building, and the tyres outside the deck served as a cushion. It was a terrifying sight at first, but, after the boat stabilised, there was cheering from all sides," he told Deccan Chronicle.
Rishi’s video of the incident, which went viral on social media, showed that none of the tourists appeared to be wearing life jackets, which is mandatory while boarding any boat in the lake.
The incident also exposed lapses on part of the operators who allowed the boat with passengers to venture out into the lake despite the rough weather and also warnings of heavy rains, thunderstorms, gusty winds and hailstorms.
Sridhar Rishi stated that the captain must have radioed rescuers on land as speedboats with rescuers rushed towards the boat. They used ropes to keep Bhatmati steady. “It appeared to be a daring and well-planned rescue effort. Hats off to them," said Sridhar Rishi.
A Saifabad police official said the boat’s engine had failed in the storm and that it was towed to safety and the tourism department officials had deboarded the tourists. Police said that a mishap was averted due to the timely action.
Sources said there was big crowd for boating, a popular pastime, especially in view of the summer holidays and the pleasant weather in the evening.
