TEAM HERALD
teamherald@herald-goa.com
MARGAO: Eight crew members of a small fishing vessel were rescued after the vessel ran aground near the mouth of River Sal on Tuesday noon ~ once again brining to the fore the hostile navigation problems at the mouth of river Sal.
The incident occurred around noon when the vessel developed an engine failure after it was hit by a huge wave while returning back to Betul from fishing. The eight crew members who were aboard the ill-fated vessel were then rescued by lifeguards and brought safely to shore.
Local fishermen later joined the operation to unload the items from the vessel, including the anchor, battery, gas cylinder etc.
Owner of the vessel Navichal Juvatkar told Herald that the local fishermen from Betul will try to tow the vessel and re-float it by tonight. “We are traditional fishermen from Betul using small fishing vessels to earn a livelihood. Though the fishing season has started from August 1, our small vessels could not venture out because of hostile navigation conditions at the river Sal mouth. My vessel ventured out for the first time in the sea on Monday noon and was trying to return back during high tide when it ran aground,” he said.
Juvatkar demanded that the government work out an immediate solution to the problems faced at the river Sal mouth. “We have conveyed our hardships to the Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar during his visit to the Betul fishing jetty on Monday along with Fisheries Minister Avertano Furtado and Velim MLA Benjamin Silva. It’s high time the government solve the problem at the river mouth once and for all,” he demanded. Earlier in the day, at 6.20 am at Benaulim two fishermen were rescued. It was a busy day for the Drishti lifeguards as they responded to both the distress calls.
