E-Paper
Pota Pata was well on his way...
A boat was quickly lowered and the individual and his raft plucked out of the sea. He collapsed and lapsed into unconsciousness. The Kesari immediately sent a signal to the submarine for the Medical Officer of the group i.e., the author. The Captain quickly relieved the author of his duties as XO. Meanwhile another boat came alongside the INS Kalvari and the author quickly whisked away to the landing craft INS Kesari.
A boat was quickly lowered and the individual and his raft plucked out of the sea. He collapsed and lapsed into unconsciousness. The Kesari immediately sent a signal to the submarine for the Medical Officer of the group i.e., the author. The Captain quickly relieved the author of his duties as XO. Meanwhile another boat came alongside the INS Kalvari and the author quickly whisked away to the landing craft INS Kesari.
The landing craft had no sickbay and so the survivor was taken to the nearest enclosure, which was the senior sailor’s dining space where the author found him lying on the deck. On examining the patient the author observed that the rescued individual was unconscious, acutely dehydrated and in a state of shock which called for emergency treatment with the limited facilities on board, in the form of intravenous fluids and other life saving drugs along with supportive therapy. This proved to be a difficult job as the veins of the patient had collapsed. The patient was placed on a “ Dangerously ill list” and the authorities at Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia were informed about the rescue. The Eastern Naval command HQ was also informed, as also Naval HQ.
It was also noted that the individual was very sun –burnt, the feet and legs covered with multiple punctures and infected wounds, which appeared to be fish bites. Also the buttocks were covered with boils. All these required active treatment as well. The castaway survived with the rapid and timely treatment provided.
As the ships were still 300 miles away from Penang, the patient had to be monitored continuously. By means of sign language and pictures, it was tentatively ascertained that he was a Burmese fisherman from Rangoon. He had neither food nor water for 7 days and had been adrift for about 25 days. The fisherman gradually improved though he remained extremely weak and could only sit up with difficulty.
With the Indian ships and submarine’s arrival at Penang, an ambulance was already waiting at the jetty. The rescued fisherman was transferred to the Penang General Hospital. At the hospital a Burmese doctor was contacted and used as an interpreter. The individual was Pota Pata from Rangoon, Burma about 40 years of age. He along with other fishermen had sailed out of Rangoon about 25 days earlier when a cyclone hit. His boat with two other fishermen broke up.
Of the three, one drowned, the other two managed to keep afloat and tied up two planks of wood.
They collected some bread and a jerry can of water and were soon adrift and lost. A week earlier to being picked up his companion succumbed. The last seven days were the worst as this food and water had finished and he was all-alone.
According to the individual a couple of merchant ships passed him by in spite of his waving out. When he was informed that he had been picked up by Indian Naval ships he could only sob out thanks and gratitude. He said, that it was the beginning of a second life for him. He felt that his wife and son had probably given him up for dead long back.
It is brought out here, that on board the INS Kesari an Army PRO and Photographer were also on board who had been recording the proceedings on camera. At Penang the Army PRO had got the film processed. On the day before leaving, the author and the PRO went together to see Pota Pata for a final time and hand him over a few photographs.
