Rescued workmen from barge narrate horrors encountered at sea
Battling strong winds and tidal waves as high as ten meters in the cyclone-hit Arabian Sea, 125 workmen were rescued by warship INS Kochi from the sinking barge P305 near Mumbai after being afloat for almost 12 hours. They narrated their horrifying experience in their quest for survival. Some of them said they had almost lost the hope of making it alive back home.
I swam for seven to eight hours, says one workman
Of the 273 people on the ill-fated barge, 184 have been rescued so far by the Indian Navy. Workman Manoj Gite (19) said, "It was horrific. I swam in the water for seven to eight hours with the determination to stay alive and was then rescued." "As the barge started sinking, everyone wore a life jacket and jumped into the water," he added.
The whole ordeal felt like a nightmare: Gite
Gite, a resident of Kolhapur, who had joined as a helper on the barge only last month, said he lost all his documents and mobile phone in the cyclonic storm. Asked if he would return to the rig again, Gite said he is not keen to go back and is glad to be alive after the nightmarish experience.
We owe our lives to the Indian Navy: Rescued workman
Another injured workman thanked the Indian Navy for saving his life. "It is because of the Navy that we are alive and safe today," the workman said fighting back his tears. One of the officials on the barge had claimed the cyclone was not huge, another workman said. "The official is now missing. We tried to search for him, but in vain," he said.
Sight of the naval ship filled us with hope: Workman
Another personnel, who works as a fitter at the rig, said the sea waves were higher than the height of the barge and there were high-speed winds blowing around. "When we saw the naval ship coming toward us for rescue, our confidence went up. I was sure they will save me, hence I jumped into the waters and started swimming," he said.
