“Dal Lake Tragedy: Heartbroken Mother Remembers Son as Her Only Support”: SRINAGAR: Every day, Taufeeq Ahmad Chopan would row his boat across Dal Lake, selling ice cream to tourists and locals to support his family.
But on Friday, the same lake that helped him earn a living turned tragic, claiming his life and leaving his family without their only support.
“He was my only support,” cried the mother of 24-year-old Taufeeq Ahmad Chopan, whose body was recovered from Dal Lake a day after the boat he was in capsized during gusty winds near Duck Park on Friday afternoon.
Taufeeq, a resident of Chopan Mohalla in Rainawari, Srinagar, had gone missing after the boat overturned. His body was retrieved early Saturday through joint efforts by the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) and local residents.
The incident occurred when two local men were caught off guard by sudden gusty winds while on the lake. Their boat capsized, throwing both into the water. One of them, 55-year-old Abdul Majeed Khosa, was rescued shortly after, but Taufeeq could not be located until the following morning.The family, left devastated, said Taufeeq was the only one who cared for them.
A pall of gloom descended on the Chopan household in Rainawari. Taufeeq’s grieving mother cried inconsolably. “He was the only hope and support for our family,” she said. “My elder son is unwell and requires hospital visits every three months. Now, a light has gone out of our lives.”
“He used to sell ice cream or sometimes drive an auto-rickshaw to make ends meet,” she added.
Relatives said Taufeeq was the sole breadwinner for his ailing brother and dependent parents. “Taufeeq worked hard in all seasons. He never let the family sleep hungry,” said his aunt.
They added that he was out on the lake selling ice cream when the weather suddenly turned rough.
An SDRF official said that the body was found during a resumed search operation early Saturday. “Despite using advanced equipment and exhaustive search methods on Friday, operations were suspended at night. We resumed with first light and recovered the body this morning,” the official said.
Taufeeq was laid to rest later in the day amid tears and prayers. Scores of neighbours and locals gathered to offer condolences to the bereaved family. (KNO)