BHOPAL: In a dramatic struggle to stay alive, a 62-year-old man spent an entire cold night clinging to a concrete pillar after falling into Lakha Banjara Lake from an elevated corridor in Sagar.
The man, Harprasad Raikwar, a resident of the Sadar area, told police that around 11.30 pm on Tuesday he was standing on the corridor overlooking the lake when an unidentified person allegedly shoved him from behind. He plunged into the dark waters below and screamed for help, but the area was deserted and no one heard him.
Unable to climb out, Raikwar managed to grab hold of a pillar supporting the corridor and hung on through the night, battling exhaustion and the cold to avoid drowning.
His ordeal ended at daybreak on Wednesday when a patrolling security guard noticed him clinging to the pillar and alerted others. The guard and local residents used a boat to reach the spot and pull the exhausted man to safety.
Raikwar was taken for medical examination and treatment. Doctors said he was weak but out of danger, after which he was discharged.
Police have launched an investigation into the incident, including the allegation that he was pushed into the lake. CCTV footage from nearby areas is being examined to establish whether anyone else was present on the corridor at the time.
