Swift, coordinated efforts by police avert tragedy at Sariya Waterfalls in ASR district of A.P.

A well-coordinated and prompt rescue operation undertaken by the Anakapalli and Alluri Sitharama Raju (ASR) district police led to the rescue of 33 tourists who were stranded near the Sariya Waterfalls, following a heavy rain, on Tuesday evening.

Sariya Waterfalls, fondly known as ‘Bahubali Waterfalls’ for scenic beauty, is also infamous for drowning incidents. It is not the waterfall, but the tiny stream that must be crossed to reach it poses a danger.

Due to an unexpected and intense downpour that lasted for nearly two hours on Tuesday afternoon, the stream swelled, making it tough to cross.

A group of 33 tourists, hailing from Gajuwaka, Kancharapalem, Gopalapatnam, and other parts of Visakhapatnam city, crossed the stream at around 3 p.m. and had a gala time at the waterfall. By 4:30 p.m., the stream swelled due to rain. The tourists were shocked to find the stream, dangerously flowing, capable of sweeping them away. They got stranded.

As panic set in, the tourists, mostly youth, contacted the police. The alert was routed to the Ananthagiri, Devarapalli, and Cheedikada police stations in the vicinity of the waterfalls. Without wasting a moment, the officials rushed to the location with the available rescue gear. Upon arrival, they found the water flow was unusually strong .

Realising the urgency, the teams initiated the rescue operation with limited resources such as ropes, torches, a generator, and a few skilled swimmers from the nearby villages.

Anakapalli DSP M. Sravani reached the site while Anakapalli SP Tuhin Sinha and ASR SP Amit Bardar coordinated the rescue efforts.

“With the help of swimmers, we tied two strong ropes across the stream. The plan was to guide each tourist through the ropes to safety. Due to the strong current, we first sent a villager and a constable, Nagaraju, across the stream. The villager held the ropes firmly, while Nagaraju walked toe-to-toe with each tourist to ensure they did not slip during the 30m–50 m crossing,” Devarapalli SI K. Satyanarayana said.

There were some tense moments as panic had set in among the group, but everyone was brought to safety.

“Each tourist helped the next in line by holding the rope tightly. The more stable and tight the rope, the passage would be safer,” Ananthagiri Police Station SI D. Srinivasa Rao said.

Mr. Satyanarayana, who had the experience of combing operations, said that given the remote forest location, it was crucial that the tourists were not left stranded overnight, due to the risk of wild animal encounters. It was a difficult operation as the current was strong. It was pitch dark and the underwater surface was very slippery, he said.

The rescue operation lasted more than two hours—from 6 p.m. to 8:15 p.m. DSP Sravani comforted the tourists and counselled them on safety precautions during the monsoon visits to waterfalls.