Remains of boat from Gujarat spreads panic among Raigad fishers

“The hull of the boat was damaged, and water started seeping in. The crew alerted the Indian Coast Guard (ICG) but two other boats in the vicinity managed to rescue all the seven fishermen,” said Somnath Gharge, superintendent of police, Raigad

Navi Mumbai: A boat that had drifted to the shore between Diveagar and Adgaon early on Sunday spread panic among Raigad fishermen, who suspected it to have met with an accident. They alerted the police, who found out that it was the remains of a vessel from Gujarat, whose seven members had been rescued on August 17.

A crew of seven members had been rescued on August 17. (HT Photo)

Around 4pm on August 17, the crew of fishermen from Gujarat had ventured nine miles into the sea on their fishing boat, ‘Bana Sagar’.

“The hull of the boat was damaged, and water started seeping in. The crew alerted the Indian Coast Guard (ICG) but two other boats in the vicinity managed to rescue all the seven fishermen,” said Somnath Gharge, superintendent of police, Raigad.

The ICG officials tried to save the sinking boat but were unable to as only its tip remained afloat. As it got darker, they gave up, said Gharge.

“As the boat had drifted towards the shore (in Raigad), attempts were made to pull it out, but the weather was not favourable, and the attempts were suspended due to the high tide,” said Gharge.