BARGI (JABALPUR): What began as a routine evening outing on the waters of the Bargi Dam turned into a prolonged fight for survival beneath a capsized boat. Riyaz Hussain Sayyed, 70, resident of Jabalpur, who had boarded the cruise around 5 pm with his family, recalls his struggle to stay alive in darkness."For about half an hour to forty-five minutes, everything was fine," Riyaz recalls. "Then suddenly, a storm came. The cruise started shaking, slowly at first, and then violently."As strong winds swept across the dam, waves began hitting the vessel with force. The pilot tried to steer towards the shore, but the weather deteriorated rapidly. Water started entering the boat even as panic began to spread among passengers.

"They gave life jackets only after the cruise started shaking," Riyaz says. "Before that, no one was wearing them."On the lower deck, inside the AC chamber, the situation turned critical within minutes. Water levels rose quickly, and though exits were nearby, stepping out meant facing even stronger waves outside."No one had the courage to go out," he says quietly. The chamber soon filled completely. "Everyone screamed for a little while," Riyaz recounts.

"And then, within five minutes… everything became silent. No sound at all."As the boat capsized, Riyaz found himself trapped underwater. With no clear escape, he began searching desperately for any space where he could breathe."I tried very hard, moving my hands and feet to find some place, but there was no space," he says. "Then I found a small corner near the top where some air was coming."That narrow pocket of air became his only lifeline. "I got stuck there," he says.

"For three hours… I was there, breathing in that little space."Wedged inside the overturned vessel, surrounded by cold water and darkness, Riyaz could barely move. Time seemed to stand still as he held on, unsure if rescuers would reach him in time.Above the surface, rescue teams searched through rough waters and fading light. Below, Riyaz waited in silence, clinging to survival. After nearly three hours, rescuers finally located the capsized boat and pulled him out alive.

He had no visible injuries, but the tragedy had already taken a devastating toll."My wife and daughter were downstairs," he says. "They drowned." Riyaz says he does not know who came to rescue him. "It was completely dark outside," he recalls. "When I heard some noises, I started hitting the wall to make a sound. That's when I heard a voice from outside — ‘ek jan zinda hai andar.' Soon afterwards, they pulled me out."