Flare helps destroyer save two more Indian sailors in cyclone

28/05/2021

An Indian destroyer on the way to rescue the crew of a barge that sank off Mumbai during Cyclone Tauktae, saved two men on a tugboat after spotting a rocket flare.

The Indian navy ship INS Kolkata set out to search for the 261-crew of construction barge 305 after its anchors failed at it capsized in the mid-May cyclone.

But it saw the flare set off by Francis K Simon, Chief Engineer of the Varaprada towing tugboat, which also sank in the cyclone, and rescued him and a colleague who were in a lifeboat.

Sadly, 75 crew members from Barge 305 and 11 from Varaprada are believed to have died.

Francis K Simon told The Indian Express it was pitch black and the tugboat had drifted 10 nautical miles out to sea. When it overturned the liferafts came up.

A group of four led by Francis headed for one of the liferafts. But one was too scared and stayed back and two did not make the lifeboat, but Francis and colleague did.

“Once in the liferaft, we sat on two ends so it would not capsize. We also ensured there was some water inside the raft so that the weight was balanced. The raft had some biscuits and a rocket parachute flare.

“In a few hours, we spotted INS Kolkata at 200 metres and used the rocket flare to send a signal. Fortunately, they spotted us and rescued us. INS Kolkata was on its way to save people stuck in the P305 barge at the time. This is my second life.”

Cyclone Tauktae was the strongest tropical cyclone to make landfall in the state of Gujarat since the 1998 Gujarat cyclone. It was one of the strongest tropical cyclones ever to affect the west coast of India.