Nine rescued after river rescue mission turns into survival drama in Arunachal

Guwahati, June 29: A dramatic multi-agency rescue operation ended successfully on Monday with all nine stranded people, including a village headman, being rescued from the swollen Sisiri River in Arunachal Pradesh’s Lower Dibang Valley district.

The ordeal began on Saturday when four people who had gone fishing near Dambuk became stranded after the water level of the Sisiri River rose suddenly.

According to officials, a seven-member local rescue team launched a rafting operation to evacuate the stranded fishermen. The team managed to rescue three of them, but while returning to the riverbank, their raft capsized in the strong currents.

“Four people went for fishing and got stranded due to the sudden rise in the river’s water level. A local rescue team went to rescue them through rafting and brought three of them to safety. However, while returning, the boat overturned and all of them fell into the river,” an official said.

Five people managed to swim ashore immediately after the raft capsized, while five others were swept away by the fast-flowing waters.

Rescue teams later found two of the missing persons stranded on a river island and another clinging to a log in the middle of the river. Personnel of the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) rescued the person trapped on the log, while two more were brought to safety later on Saturday night.

The remaining stranded persons, including a Gaon Burah (village headman), were rescued on Monday, bringing the operation to a successful close.

“We thank everyone for their support in the rescue operation. Apart from the NDRF, SDRF, local administration and the Indian Air Force, local villagers played a crucial role in the operation,” the official said.

The rescued Gaon Burah recounted his ordeal, saying he had gone fishing alone at around 6.30 am on Saturday when the river suddenly swelled.

“I got stranded after the water level rose sharply around 8.30 am. I had asked my son to bring an elephant so that I could return, but it could not happen,” he said.

Dambuk MLA Puinnyo Apum personally monitored the rescue efforts after rushing to the spot from Itanagar.

“When I heard the news, I was in Itanagar. I immediately came to Dambuk to take stock of the situation. The rescue operation was already underway and I am happy that everybody has been rescued safely,” Apum said.

The successful operation involved personnel from the NDRF, State Disaster Response Force (SDRF), district administration, Indian Air Force and local villagers, underscoring the importance of coordinated rescue efforts in the remote and flood-prone region.

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