the river

An unemployed man, in his desperation to make some money to send home to his family, accepted a ‘friendly’ bet that almost turned fatal for him. Forty-one-year-old Debesh Khanal accepted his friend’s dare to swim across the Sabarmati for a paltry sum of Rs 500 but just a few meters into, Khanal realized the dangers of his expedition. Luckily, a few guards at the riverfront heard his cries for help and rescued him. Khanal, a native of Nepal, had been working as a daily wage earner in the city.“I used to do odd jobs for caterers in the city and earned close to Rs 400 a day. But recently, I was in desperate need for money. So when I met my friend Sagar Thapa, I sought his help. He agreed to give him Rs 500 if I crossed the Sabarmati,” Khanal told Mirror. For the past one week, Khanal was unemployed and had no money even for food. He would eat at charity outlets. “My son studies Science. I needed money for his education. So I accepted the bet and set out to cross Sabarmati but mid-way I felt I would drown,” Khanal said.His cries for help were heard by riverfront guards who called the fire brigade and rescued him. Meanwhile his friend Sagar fled the spot. Khanal told the cops that he used to swim frequently in his native village and though he could win the bet. “But when I reached the second pillar of Ellisbridge, I felt I will drown. I was exhausted. So, I shouted for help,” he told cops. Khanal has studied till third year BSc but couldn’t study further following financial difficulties.Six years ago, he came to city in search of employment. “His father died six years ago and he is the sole earner in his family. He started working as kitchen supervisor with a hotel near electricity house but was out of work when the hotel shut down. Then he found employment at a hotel in Gir but quit and returned to city where he worked as kitchen manager in different restaurants on contract basis,” the police said. Cops have taken note of the incident.