Garia tourist falls off boat, goes missing in Sundarbans
Times of India | 19 January 2026
Kolkata: A 32-year-old tourist from south Kolkata's Garia, Suman Pal, went missing after falling from a boat into Matla River in the Sundarbans late Saturday night. Police said he had not been found after a search was conducted.
A group of 22 tourists from Garia had reached the Sundarbans on Jan 16 for a five-day trip. After visiting Bonnie Camp and Kalas Island, they stayed overnight on their boat near Kaikhali.
The incident occurred around 11.30 pm while dinner was being served. Carrying a plate of rice, Pal was climbing down the stairs of the launch, when he slipped and fell into the river. He was swept away by the current.
Fellow tourist, Shubhendu Sarkar, said he saw Pal raised his hand once at a distance of about 10 ft to 12 ft from the launch before he disappeared. Sarkar said he jumped into the river but could not locate him.
Pal's brother, Sujay Pal, reached the Sundarbans from Garia and joined the search. Another group member, Joy Saha, said Pal ran an imitation jewellery shop and did not consume alcohol.
The incident was reported to Kultali Police Station. A team led by SI Arghya Mandal began a search with divers, covering multiple stretches of the river. Police said currents and night visibility had affected the operation.
Ramesh Pal, a relative of the missing tourist, said Suman had a deep love for forests and wildlife and travelled every year without fail. "He had visited the Sundarbans several times before. He himself was the main organiser of this tour," he said.
A police official said Matla River had been experiencing extremely strong currents at this time of the year, which is making the search operation difficult. "Because of the powerful flow of the river, locating the missing person has become challenging. The search will continue tomorrow (Monday) with the help of professional divers," the officer said. Police are also questioning all tourists, who were on board to confirm that the incident was purely accidental.