A drowning boy being rescued at Dassam Falls. Picture by Prashant Mitra

Dassam Falls, Jan. 2: Barely two days after the picturesque Dassam Falls near Ranchi sucked in two revellers, a couple of boys had a close brush with death today.

The waterfalls and its adjoining hills were chock-a-block with picnickers.

The duo ? Bikash Kumar Verma and Ashish Kumar ? who had ventured out a bit too far did not realise the danger till they were neck-deep in the swirling waters. Bikash was pulled in by the strong current, while Ashish managed to stay afloat.

Their companions, milling around the bank, hurled in whatever they could lay their hands on ? from leather belts to roots and stems of shrubs ? so that they could cling to it. The plan worked. The boys were hauled to safety.

The day had dawned perfect for Bikash and Ashish, who decided to spend it at Dassam Falls.

The duo, residents of Tarpakhana in Ranchi, roped in eight of their friends and reached the spot before noon. It was party time and people had occupied vantage spots.

The group was lucky to get a place to sit next to the gushing stream and within minutes, they dived into the pool.

?We did not drink. We had just come to have quality time with friends. We know alcohol can be dangerous in picnics. One tends to become careless and lands in trouble. There are no security arrangement in this place. There should be some police personnel and professional divers to save those in trouble,? said Ankur Mitra, an ex-student of BIT.

To get away from the crowd, the duo decided to take dips at different places and went to a spot where the pool was quieter. They splashed into the pool and soon landed in the middle.

With some popular songs being played in full volume all around, they started to shake their legs and moved towards the shallow waters.

It was then Bikash sensed trouble. He realised that it was not possible for him to get out of the water. He panicked. Bikash began to shout for help as he went in and out of water. Ashish saw his friend in trouble and rushed for help.

He managed to clutch at the drowning boy, but realised that he too was trapped. Their cries for help attracted their friends at the bank. By then Bikash had almost drowned, while Ashish was trying to cling on to him.

Two other boys jumped into the water and threw leather belts and branches at them. Ashish was successful in holding on to one of them. He was dragged along with his friend. The duo remained unconscious for about 15 minutes.

The police had no idea about the incident. An official said, ?Our area is vast and we do not have a big force. As a result, it is not possible for us to go there everyday. The place is barely 10 km from the Ranchi-Jamshedpur highway.?

In 2004, the killer falls had devoured eight.