14 stranded fishermen back on safe shores

After braving starvation and choppy sea waters for three days, at least 16 fishermen stuck on board a trawler mid sea, some nine nautical miles off Satpati coast in Palghar, returned home safely Saturday late evening.

The fishermen are back home thanks to the efforts of another local fisherman from Satpati who dared to venture out into the sea on a borrowed trawler to rescue them. He not only brought back to safety the stranded fishermen, but also towed back the stuck trawler to the fishing village.

The frequent rollicking of the trawler on the roiling waters had made cooking impossible. To add to their woes, the engine failed and battery died, robbing them of all means to send wireless messages.

Based on the last sent message location, the fishermen were rescued back to the Satpati coast. On August 4, a fleet of 10 trawlers had ventured into the sea from Satpati village.

The state had just lifted a two-month ban on fishing since August 1. Among the 10 trawlers was New Dhawal, owned by Dhananjay Meher, a veteran fisherman from Satpati. As soon as the trawler crossed nine nautical miles, its engine stopped functioning.

Its captain Chandan Dev then decided to drop anchor. “We were helpless and at the mercy of the Arabian Sea,” said Prashant Dev, a crewmember.

Before the battery died, the crew had sent a message to the owner Mr Meher, who then got traced the last known location of the trawler.

Meanwhile, Satpati villagers approached API Kishore Shinde of Satpati coastal police station, and narrated the situation.

“I immediately sent an email to the coast guard in Worli, seeking its help in rescuing the fishermen. I got a reply from the coast guard, assuring us of all help,” said Mr Shinde.

However, the other local fishermen from Satpati, did not wish to wait. So, Saturday morning, a local fisherman, Pandari Bhaskar Meher, lent his trawler Har Har Gange to Anil Chowdhary, who along with a crew, set out to rescue the stranded men. They reached the last known location of the stranded trawler where it had been anchored mid sea. After rescuing the men, Mr Chowdhary and his men towed the New Dhawal trawler to Satpati coast Saturday afternoon.