Boat Capsizes During a Picnic — ICSE Narrative Descriptive Essay

The first shower of monsoon signalled the end of our summer vacation. I along with my friends Soumya and Arti, decided to have a memorable picnic, before going back to our books. After much deliberation we decided to go to Shaheed Smarak the very next day.

The sky was a little overcast, as we set out to Shaheed Smarak on our bicycles. The cool morning breeze was a welcome respite from the heat wave we had been facing lately. We hired a medium-sized boat with a sail, for sailing on the River Gomti. The old boatman welcomed us aboard, and made us sit comfortably on the seats facing the rudder. With a mighty heave on the oars, he steered the boat gently into the river. Soon we were sailing in the middle of the river. The gentle breeze across the sail accelerated the pace. We shouted with joy, splashing the river water with our hands, and sang to our heart’s content.

A little later the clouds darkened and the gentle breeze transformed into a violent storm. The boat rocked violently as the strong dusty wind threatened to blow of the sail. Gone was the bonhomie, as we huddled in one corner of the boat. The old boatman yelled warning us not to disturb the balance of the boat, but it was too late. Shrieking with fright we were thrown into the river as the boat capsized.

Gasping for breath I came to the surface, and flung my arms in despair, clutching the bottom of the capsized boat. Soon Soumya, Arti and the old boatman, also surfaced clutching the boat or whatever part of the boat they could lay their hands on, to remain afloat. Shocked with the turn of events, we began to swim to safety leaving the boatman to tend to his boat.

I soon realised that swimming in the river was more difficult than in a swimming pool. The waves struck my face often choking me. To make matters worse it began to rain heavily, which completely obliterated my vision. In a couple of minutes, I got thoroughly exhausted, and floated on the surface gasping for breath. Glancing around I found my friends desperately trying to stay afloat. Just then a fisherman seeing our plight came to our rescue. He hauled us on to the boat, and brought us to the river bank. We profusely thanked him for saving our lives.

The close brush with death had indeed scared and frightened us. Reminiscing about it even now makes my hair stand on end. It was a harrowing experience, which I shall never forget in my life.