Dibrugarh: All nine people stranded following a rescue operation mishap in Arunachal Pradesh’s Lower Dibang Valley district were safely rescued on Monday, officials said.
The incident occurred at the Sisiri River in Dambuk after four people who had gone fishing on Saturday became stranded due to a sudden rise in the river’s water level.
According to officials, a local rescue team launched a rafting operation to evacuate the stranded fishermen. The team successfully reached three of them but could not locate the fourth person.
While returning with the rescued individuals, the raft carrying the seven-member rescue team and the three rescued fishermen capsized after encountering strong currents.
“Five people managed to swim ashore immediately after the raft overturned, while the remaining five were swept away by the fast-flowing river,” an official said.
Rescue teams later located two of those swept away on a river island, while another was found clinging to a log in the middle of the river. Personnel of the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) rescued the person stranded on the log, and two others were brought to safety later on Saturday night.
The remaining stranded persons, including a Gaon Burah (village headman), were rescued safely on Monday, completing the operation.
“We thank everyone for their support during the rescue operation. Apart from the NDRF, SDRF, the local administration and the Indian Air Force, local villagers also played a crucial role in the rescue efforts,” the person said.
The rescued Gaon Burah recounted that he had gone fishing alone at around 6.30 am on Saturday when the Sisiri River’s water level rose suddenly around 8.30 am, leaving him stranded.
“I informed my son to bring an elephant so that I could cross the river, but that could not happen,” he said.
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Dambuk MLA Puinnyo Apum monitored the rescue operation after travelling directly from Itanagar.
“When I received the information, I was in Itanagar. I immediately came to Dambuk to assess the situation. The rescue operation was already underway, and everyone has been rescued safely,” Apum said.
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