NEPALI HORROR INCIDENCE OCCURED DURING PICNIC

                                                        

 "Who would have thought something like this could happen on a picnic…

I’m about to share with you all an incident that happened to me and my friends during a picnic.

My name is Binod. I live in Kavrepalanchok. Right now, I drive a tipper (truck). This incident happened about 8 years ago. Back then, it was a tradition in our village for everyone to go on a picnic together once a year.

I was still very young at the time. My daily routine was playing in the village, swimming in the small streams, and having fun with friends. The moment someone said 'picnic,' my heart would leap with joy. I’d go home and start asking my father for money. After a lot of pleading, he finally gave me some cash for the picnic. That day, I felt like the richest person in the world.

When I was little, I didn’t have nice clothes. I borrowed some from my friends. We made big plans about what we’d do at the picnic. The picnic was the next day. Maybe because of the excitement, I couldn’t fall asleep until late at night. I don’t even remember when I finally dozed off.

The next morning, I slept in late. Suddenly, a friend came shouting,

'Hey Binod! Aren’t you coming to the picnic?'

I jolted awake 'Oh no! I almost missed it!'

I hurriedly put on my clothes and ran toward the field. When I got there, everyone had already loaded the stuff into the vehicle and was seated. I was the only one left. They all scolded me for being late. I gave a sheepish smile and went to sit in the last seat. My friends had saved a spot for me.

The vehicle started moving. Music began playing. Everyone was dancing and singing.

Our picnic spot was by the banks of Dolalghat.

There, the sound of the powerfully flowing Bhote Koshi River alone would make your heart race with excitement. Scorching sun, dancing, fun… all my friends were already drenched in sweat.

I was young and full of energy. We always swam in our village’s small streams. So seeing a big river made me overly confident.

I bragged to my friends

'I can swim across this river to the other side and come back!'

They laughed

'Don’t bluff, Binod! This isn’t our village’s little stream.'

But that’s how it is at that age if someone stops you, it only fuels your stubbornness more.

I took off my clothes, left them on the bank… and jumped straight into the water.

At first, the water felt cold, but it was fun. I easily swam halfway across. But that river turned out to be much bigger and more powerful than I’d imagined. The current was incredibly strong.

Suddenly, the water started spinning me around.

I lost my balance.

The river began dragging me downstream.

By then, I must have reached near a whirlpool. The water was swirling underneath. It felt like someone grabbed my leg and pulled me down.

I got even more scared.

I still don’t know if someone really pulled me or if it was just the whirlpool.

But in that moment…

I thought, I’m not going to survive.

My breathing stopped underwater. My eyes were open, but everything around seemed dark. All I could hear was the roar of the water in my ears. My body grew weaker.

I couldn’t even scream.

From above, my friends’ voices sounded faint

'Binod! Binod!!'

Suddenly, someone grabbed my hand.

Then another hand grabbed my shoulder.

Two or three friends had jumped into the water and were pulling me out.

After a lot of struggle, they managed to drag me to the bank.

I coughed violently and vomited water.

When I opened my eyes, all my friends were standing around me. Some had faces pale with fear, others had tears in their eyes.

In that moment, I couldn’t say anything.

But one thing stuck deep in my mind

Did someone really grab my leg and pull me, or was the river itself that terrifying?

Since that day, I’ve never swum in any river or stream whose depth I didn’t know or understand.

The arrogance of youthful energy could have cost me my life.

Courage is good, but courage born out of ignorance becomes foolishness.

If you try to play with nature, it shows its power too.

Even today, whenever I hear the sound of the Bhote Koshi River, my body shivers remembering that day’s cold water and the feeling of something pulling at my leg."

This is a powerful cautionary tale about respecting nature’s strength—especially powerful Himalayan rivers like Bhote Koshi, which has strong currents, undercurrents, and whirlpools (especially around Dolalghat, a popular but sometimes risky picnic and rafting spot). Many similar drowning incidents have occurred in Nepali rivers during picnics or swimming, often due to underestimating the force of the water. Binod’s survival thanks to his quick-thinking friends is truly fortunate.