Snehasish Ganguly, former Bengal cricketer and CAB President, and his wife Arpita thankfully survived a close accident. The elder brother of ex-Indian cricket captain Sourav Ganguly was sailing in the sea near Puri when his speedboat flipped. Since the divers and lifeguards acted in time, the people were saved. It happened on Saturday and the couple has safely been able to return to Kolkata.
Boat footage aired by local channels shows a large wave strike the boat, the boat loses balance and then overturns. According to police, the lifeguards were there quickly and made sure the tourists remained safe by using rubber boats to help them.
VIDEO | Puri, Odisha: Cricket Association of Bengal (CAB) President and brother of former Indian cricket team captain Sourav Ganguly, Snehasish Ganguly, and his wife Arpita Ganguly were safely rescued after they encountered a horror as their speedboat capsized off Puri coast.… pic.twitter.com/rWCOB4bgYm
— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) May 26, 2025
Snehasish Ganguly said, “It was a life-threatening accident. The boat capsized, and local people and fishermen saved us. I thank Lord Jagannath. This feels like a second life for us.” The mishap took place near the Lighthouse area on Saturday evening.
In a video message shared with news agency PTI-Bhasha, Arpita said, “By God’s grace, we are safe. I’m still in shock. This should not have happened, and there should be proper arrangements for water sports in the sea. After returning to Kolkata, I will write to the Puri Superintendent of Police and the Chief Minister of Odisha.”
Describing the incident, she mentioned that their boat was struck by a massive wave and overturned, throwing all passengers, including herself and her husband, into the sea. “Thankfully, the lifeguards responded immediately and saved our lives,” she added.
A visibly shaken Arpita blamed the “greed” of adventure sports operators for the accident. She alleged that the boat was unstable and, despite being designed for 10 passengers, only had four onboard, which made it unbalanced and unsafe to face heavy tides. “Due to the low weight, the boat lost balance and couldn’t withstand the large wave. The sea was already very rough,” she said.
“Although we expressed concerns about safety due to the storm, the operators assured us it was safe. But soon after entering the sea, a large wave hit the boat and it overturned,” Arpita concluded.
