Hyderabad: A routine field visit turned into a tense overnight ordeal after nine workers and engineers were stranded in the middle of Mir Alam Lake when their boat engine failed on Sunday night. A swift and challenging rescue operation by the Hyderabad Disaster Response and Asset Protection Agency (HYDRAA) Disaster Response Force (DRF) brought all of them back safely.The rescued individuals were part of a team engaged in soil testing for a proposed bridge across the Mir Alam Tank. As part of their routine, the workers and engineers ventured into the lake in the morning. Trouble began after nightfall when the boat’s engine broke down, leaving them stuck far from the shore. When they contacted a mechanic, they were told repairs could only be done if the boat was brought back to shore. Attempts to manually push the boat failed due to thick water hyacinth that clogged the lake’s surface.
Their situation grew more frightening as darkness fell. With Mir Alam Lake known to have crocodiles, the stranded group, unable to move and increasingly anxious, called Dial 100 for help.The distress call was relayed to the HYDRAA DRF control room, which immediately launched a rescue operation. HYDRA station fire officer Jameel and rescue team in-charge Swamy spoke directly with the stranded group over phone, reassuring them that help was on the way.Reaching them, however, was not easy.Poor visibility and dense floating vegetation made navigation extremely difficult for the rescue team. The stranded workers helped guide rescuers by turning on their mobile phone flashlights, while DRF personnel scanned the lake using high-powered torches.In the first trip, four people were safely brought ashore in the DRF boat. The rescue team then returned to the lake, assuring the remaining five that they would not be left behind. In a second trip, all five were rescued, completing the mission without injuries, said an official in DRF.The rescued workers later said the fear of crocodiles and being trapped in total darkness had left them deeply shaken.“The way the HYDRAA teams reached us in pitch darkness and brought us back safely was nothing short of heroic,” one of the rescued engineers said, expressing gratitude to the responders.
