The staff of a cruise ship came to the rescue of five fishermen, who were in danger of drowning off the Mumbai coast, on Christmas Day.
The rescue mission began when a couple of passengers, relaxing aboard the cruise ship Costa Serena, spotted the fishermen in distress. Wearing orange life jackets, the stranded fishermen were waving at the ship from about a mile away, in the Arabian Sea.
On being informed by the passengers, the crew of Costa Serena, under the guidance of captain Andrea Bardi, quickly changed course and reached the shipwrecked men. They also informed the Indian Coast Guard (ICG) and ensured their rescue three hours later.
“They were five fishermen whose boat had broken down in the middle of the sea. The incident happened between Kochi and Mumbai. We wouldn’t have spotted them if they were not wearing orange life jackets. The fishermen were from Kerala and were rescued in separate boats by the ICG,” said Mr. Bardi.
Though the cruise was delayed by over three hours, none of the passengers complained, as they were more worried about the lives of five men. The rescued fishermen were taken to a hospital in Kochi for treatment.
On December 26, when the Costa Serena docked at the Kochi port, the ICG and the Kochi Police Commissioner handed over an appreciation plaque to the captain and crew thanking them for their efforts.
