Cyclone Tauktae: Rescued from barge, workmen recall hours of horror at sea

If not for the navy, many say they probably wouldn't have made it

Battling tidal waves as high as 10 metres and strong winds while trying to stay afloat in the cyclone-hit Arabian Sea for almost 12 hours, workmen rescued from a sinking barge narrated their horrifying experience. Some of them said they had almost lost hope of making it back alive.

The warship, INS Kochi, arrived in Mumbai on Wednesday with 125 workmen rescued from barge P305, an accommodation barge that sank as Cyclone Tauktae unleashed its fury.

Of the 273 people on the ill-fated barge, the Indian Navy rescued 184 so far.

“It was a horrifying situation on the barge,” recalled 19-year-old workman Manoj Gite. “I had not thought I would survive. But I swam in the waters for seven to eight hours, determined to stay alive, and was rescued by the navy.”

Gite, a resident of Kolhapur (Maharashtra), said as the barge started sinking, all workmen got frightened, and he along with the others wore a life jacket and jumped into the angry sea.

The workman, who had joined as a helper on the barge only last month, said he lost all his documents and mobile phone in the storm.

Asked if he would return to the rig again, Gite said he is not keen to go back and is content to be alive after the nightmarish experience.

Another workman, who was injured in the incident, thanked the Indian Navy for saving his life.

“It is because of the navy that we all are alive and safe today. We don’t know what would have happened to us otherwise,” the workman said, fighting his tears back.

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 added.

Another rescued workman said as their barge started sinking, he jumped into the waters in the middle of the night and tried to stay afloat. “I swam for about 12 hours before the navy team rescued me,” he said.

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.

“Before the navy ship arrived, we were not sure what was going to happen (to us),” he said. “As we saw the naval ship coming towards us for rescue, our confidence went up. I was sure they would save me, so I jumped into the waters and started swimming.”