Captain who saved 35 from sinking yacht claims passengers didn't thank

(left to right) Abu Mussa Sadar (sailor), Hashuram Thakur (captain) and Suhas Padte, the owner of the boat involved in the rescue. Pic/Suresh Karkera

The captain of the Ashtavinayak boat, and his team, who saved 35 passengers from a sinking yacht just 1.5 nautical miles from the Gateway of India on Sunday, narrated the incident to mid-day. The owner of the boat claimed the passengers didn't even thank them and disappeared from the location.

Unlike reported earlier, the passengers of the yacht Tyche weren't saved by those onboard a boat that was on its way to the Gateway of India. Captain Hashuram Thakur, 55, of the Ashtavinayak boat said he and his sailors, Abu Mussa Sadar, 35, Ali Mandal, 30, and Saurabh Thakur, 40, rushed to the aid of the troubled yacht from the Gateway.

"Around 5.30 pm I had reached the Gateway from Elephanta and anchored my boat, when a person in a speed boat (from the Tyche) arrived and rushed to me, saying a yacht was sinking due to leakage. We rushed to the spot with my boat and immediately rescued the 35 people. Had I been delayed by 15 minutes, the yacht would have capsized," said Hashuram Thakur. "The organisers and guests on the yacht didn't even thank my men who saved their lives by putting themselves at risk. They disappeared from the location," said boat owner Suhas Padte.

The Mumbai police are investigating the matter and waiting for a report from the Maharashtra Maritime Board (MMB). "For such parties police permission is not required, but organisers have to intimate us. In this case, they didn't inform us about the party and the incident. Based on the inquiry, soon we will register a case of endangering the life of others," said Nisheeth Mishra, additional commissioner (south region).

Licence to be suspended
"Based on the initial report a notice has been issued to the registrar for the cancellation of licence issued to the owner of the vessel. We are investigating the matter. Teams have visited the spot, based on some initial reports a notice has been issued for the suspension of license," said Captain Sanjay Sharma, chief of MMB.

"There are other organizers. As far as the Tyche yacht is concerned, we have nothing to do with the incident that occurred on Sunday, the party was not organised by us. While organising the parties we take the necessary permissions from the required authorities and the safety precautions are also taken care off," said a spokesperson of Yacht Getaways Mumbai. A person who spoke over the phone from their office previously to this reporter had confirmed that the Tyche sank.

No permission taken
"The organisers must take permission from the Bombay Port Trust (BPT) for a boat party near the Gateway of India. After getting permission from the BPT, they have to intimate Mumbai Police about the party. In this case, the organisers did not have any permission for the party," a senior officer from BPT said.

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