A tragic ferry accident occurred on December 18 off the coast of Mumbai when a Navy boat collided with a tourist ferry, ‘Neel Kamal’, on its way to Elephanta Island from the Gateway of India. The accident led to the deaths of 14 people, but thanks to the quick actions of the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) jawans, many lives were saved.

When the ferry started sinking, panic spread among the passengers. Some parents, terrified for their children’s safety, thought about throwing them into the sea in hopes of saving them. However, CISF marine commandos, led by Constable Amol Savant, rushed to the scene and stopped the desperate actions. “I asked them not to panic and not to throw their children into the water,” Savant said. The CISF jawans reassured the parents that everyone would be rescued.

Savant and his colleagues were on routine patrol when they received the emergency call about the sinking ferry. They quickly sped to the accident site, which was about 3-4 kilometers away. “We saw people were ready to throw their children into the ocean thinking that they would be saved from the sinking ship,” Savant recalled. The CISF personnel immediately took charge, focusing on rescuing the children first.

They rescued about six or seven children initially and then moved on to help other passengers, including women and men. Savant mentioned that they were able to rescue about 50-60 people from the sinking ferry. “There were many hands raised towards us, some screaming, some just requesting to save them,” he said. The jawans worked quickly and efficiently, saving as many people as possible.

Sub Inspector Kheioka Sema, another CISF jawan who arrived on the second patrol boat, helped rescue victims in the water. He shared that they performed CPR on 10-12 people to revive them after they had swallowed water. Some of the passengers, including a foreign couple, also helped with CPR.

The CISF jawans, who are specially trained in marine operations, acted with great professionalism during the rescue. They are trained in amphibious survival and commando tactics at Chilika Lake in Odisha. The jawans spread out over a 300-meter radius, searching for survivors and retrieving belongings from the water.

Deepak Verma, a CISF spokesperson, praised the bravery and dedication of the rescuers. “We’re proud of their professionalism and commitment, especially during this rescue operation,” he said. Thanks to their quick actions, many lives were saved, even though the accident was a tragic one.

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