Former Cricket Association of Bengal (CAB) president Snehasish Ganguly and his wife Arpita were rescued by local divers and life-savers near Puri beach in Odisha after their boat capsized on May 24.
"It was a life-threatening accident. The boat capsized and we were saved by the local people and fishermen. I thank Lord Jagannath. This is sort of second life for us," Snehashish said after the near-death experience.
Snehasish is brother of former India captain Sourav Ganguly who has also served as the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) president.
Snehasish's wife Arpita narrated the incident. She blamed the operators for letting them go into the sea despite concerns. She thanked the lifeguards for saving their life. She intends to write a letter to the chief minister upon reaching home.
"The sea was already very rough. There was a capacity of 10 people on the boat, but due to the greed for money, they allowed only three to four people on board. This was the last boat to go into the sea for the day. We had raised concerns over going into the sea, but the operators told us that it is fine," Aprita Ganguly narrated the incident.
"If the lifeguards had not come, we would not have been saved. I'm still in trauma...never faced something like this. If there were more people on the boat, maybe it would not have flipped.
"Authorities should ban these sports here. Puri beach has a very rough sea. I will write a letter to the Superintendent of Police and the Chief Minister once I go back to Kolkata, asking them to stop watersports here," she added.
The situation is expected to get worse in the coming days in the coastal areas of Odisha. The India Meteorogical Department (IMD) has forecasted extremely heavy rains in Ganjam, Gajapati, Rayagada, Kalahandi, Kandhamal, and Koraput.