16 crew members of barge that ran aground in Raigad district rescued

It added that the Master of the vessel, who was planning to abandon it, intimated that the members of the crew were in panic. Following this, the Coast Guard team pacified the Master and the crew while requesting them to remain on board as a Coast Guard ship was being deployed to help them, the statement added.

Later in the day, Coast Guard ship ‘Subhadra Kumari Chauhan’ sailed out from Dighi harbour.

Two Coast Guard helicopters were also pressed into service from air station, Daman.

The statement said that Subhadra Kumari Chauhan arrived in the vicinity of the distressed vessel around 10.15 am and post assessment of the situation, lowered her boats to rescue the crew. Helicopters also arrived at the location.

A crew member said, “We loaded from Mumbai and came to Revdanda. While we were entering the port, there was a swell, we were thrown on the northern side on Wednesday. The Coast Guard answered our call and without any injury rescued us.”

“We alerted the Coast Guard immediately. The Police, the Coast Guard and the administration carried out the operation jointly. We gave the crew some food after they were rescued… they were later sent home,” Raigad Collector Nidhi Chaudhari said.