The Boat Wreckage | Puzzles for Interview - Interview Preparation PDF Download

Introduction

Ankur and his friends went to the bank of river Ganges for some fun and recreation after finishing their exams. While crossing to the other side of the river, a storm came and they got trapped in a boat in the middle of the river. None of them knew how to swim, and the boat had a hole in the base, which meant it was about to sink in 20 minutes.

The Challenge

Their only chance of survival was the five-person raft stowed on their vessel. But there was a catch. A round trip to the nearest side took nine minutes on the raft. Ankur needed to figure out how many people could remain on the raft so that he could save as many people as possible in the shortest time.

Solution

The correct answer was two people. Here's how: After two rounds, when only two minutes were left, the rest of the five people could leave the boat. However, there was a catch with the raft. You always need one person to move the raft, and that person has to return back with the raft to rescue other people.

So, the first time, five people went on the raft, and one person returned. Then, five people went on the raft again, and one person returned. When only two minutes were left, five people went on the raft, and no one returned, leaving two people (15 - (5-1) - (5-1) - 5=2) back in the boat.

Conclusion

It was a challenging situation, but Ankur and his friends managed to come out of it alive by using their problem-solving skills. It's always important to stay calm and think critically in such situations to find the best possible solution.