A dramatic rescue operation in Arunachal Pradesh’s Lower Dibang Valley district came to a successful end on Monday, with all nine stranded individuals safely rescued from the Sisiri River. The incident began on Saturday when four people went fishing in the river, only to become stranded due to a sudden rise in the water level. A local rescue team launched a rafting operation to evacuate the stranded fishermen, successfully reaching three of them, but the fourth person could not be located. Tragedy struck when the raft carrying the seven-member rescue team and the three rescued fishermen capsized due to strong currents.
Five people managed to swim ashore immediately, while the remaining five were swept away by the fast-flowing river. 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. The 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. Dambuk MLA Puinnyo Apum monitored the rescue operation after travelling directly from Itanagar. The successful rescue effort was a result of a collaborative effort between the NDRF, SDRF, local administration, Indian Air Force, and local villagers.
The rescued individuals and officials expressed gratitude to everyone involved in the rescue operation.
