Former Indian cricket team captain Sourav Ganguly’s brother Snehasish Ganguly and his wife Arpita had a narrow escape in Odisha on Sunday after their speedboat capsized in the sea. The couple was on a holiday in Puri and were enjoying water sports activity when the incident happened. Snehasish Ganguly is a former Bengal cricketer and current president of Cricket Association of Bengal (CAB). Both Snehashish and Arpita are safe and have returned to Kolkata.
“I thank Lord Jagannath. This is sort of a second life for us,” Snehashish told Cricbuzz on Monday. “It was a life-threatening accident. Our boat capsized inside the sea and we were saved by the local people and lifeguards.”
Snehasish added that visiting Puri has been sort of a tradition for them.
“I visit Puri every year – it has been a tradition for the past 31 years. I perform puja at the Jagannath Temple annually. On Saturday, we suddenly decided to go into the sea. I don’t know why I chose to do it – it was a last-minute decision,” he said.
“It was around 5:30 in the evening when we boarded the boat along with another couple. There were lifeguards on board. Suddenly, a powerful wave struck the boat, and it capsized instantly, turning [it] upside down. We were trapped beneath the capsized boat, inside the water.
“Before we could even realise what had happened, another wave struck, and the boat flipped upright. That gave us a chance to wriggle free from the trapped situation. Around that time, some lifeguards also reached and rescued us. I can’t express the relief – I just thank Lord Jagannath.”
