Using a hovercraft, the Indian Coast Guard (ICG) personnel on Tuesday rescued 78 people –including 20 women and 18 children, after a ferry in which they were travelling hit a muddy patch and ran aground near Elephanta Islands off Mumbai coast on Monday evening.
The ferry “Navrang”, carrying 40 men, 20 women and 18 children, was on its return journey from Elephanta Islands to Nhava Sheva, when the mishap took place. “The vessel was an over-crowded boat without any life saving equipment on board and was stranded in low tide,” a senior ICG official said.
On the occasion of “Mahashivaratri”, the ferry had carried the passengers from Nhava Sheva to Elephanta Island, where Someshwar Shiva Temple is located.
“After visiting the temple, all passengers boarded the vessel at about 3:30 pm for their return journey to Nhava Sheva. The vessel while manoeuvring to leave the jetty, hit a submerged mud patch which rendered the engines dysfunctional,” the official said.
Before long, the over-crowded boat became unstable. “The passengers were in no position to reach safety owing to rise in tidal water and surrounding depths. The vessel operators alerted the police and sought their help,”
One police boat and two civil hired boats were immediately sent to the area which proved ineffective due to the treacherous navigation situation. The police subsequently got in touch with Coast Guard Regional Headquarters at 4.30 pm.
As a hovercraft is not restricted by shallow water, Indian Coast Guard hovercraft ACV H-194 commanded by Commandant Sandeep Safaya, was launched with medical and relief material from Belapur Hover Port at 5.05 pm.
The hovercraft reached the stranded vessel at 5.24 pm and rescued all 78 passengers from the stranded boat by 5:36 pm. The timely rescue of the passengers by Indian Coast Guard averted any untoward incident. All the rescued people were provided with relief and were thereafter taken to Belapur Hover Port where they alighted and left safely for their homes.