On Sunday morning, a couple from Junagadh’s Mangrol taluka travelled to Diu in search of a once-in-a-lifetime thrilling moment. But, it appears that fate, too, took a risk, leaving not only the duo but also their family members with an unforgettable mid-sea nightmare.
Ajit Kathad, a health worker of a village primary health centre, and his wife Sarla, a teacher went for parasailing ride at Nagoa beach in Diu on Sunday morning. A minute into the journey, the pair had a close call when floating several metres above the sea with just their lifejackets and an unstable parachute above their heads to grab on to after the line linked to the boat snapped.
Kathad and his wife were unaware at the time, but his elder brother Rakesh, who was filming a video on his phone, yelled in fear as he saw his brother and sister-in-law fly away on their own. As soon as the terrified couple landed safely in the sea, they were rescued and brought ashore.
“I was filming a video and had no idea what to do when the rope snapped. I could see my brother and sister-in-law falling from tremendous heights, and I’d never felt so helpless as I did at that time “Rakesh, who was crying, added.
Mohan Lakshman, the owner of Palms Adventure and Water Sports, explained “Because of the strong winds on Sunday, this is the first time such an incident has occurred in the last three years. We have well-trained personnel for rescue operations that adhere to the requirements, and they were all trained in Goa.” Lakshman also runs similar water activities in Daman.
Later, Rakesh informed reporters that he had seen the rope was weak and had even alerted the folks in charge of the ride about it because he was afraid it might snap under the weight of the ride. They promised him, however, that nothing would happen and that the damaged part of the rope would not even be lifted into the air, he continued.
Sarla was in such shock that she couldn’t talk for a few moments. “My wife and I were talking when the rope snapped, but we were unaware of it. We realised within a few seconds that we were on our own “Kathad stated
“We could have drowned in the sea or on land. However, when we questioned the personnel, they arrogantly denied their obligations “he claimed. The families had brought their children on the boat as well, but the ride operators did not have child lifejackets. “Initially, they distributed substandard jackets. But after we insisted again, they handed us the correct-sized jackets for the kids.” Kathad stated.
The family went to the police station to complain about the neglect, but they did not file a complaint. “We wanted to make sure that no one else had to go through what we had. The responsibility should be taken by the corporation “Kathad added.