Sail vessel crew member’s body to be flown to Madurai today

MADURAI: The body of 56-year-old Stanley, who was one of the seven-member crew on board a coastal sail vessel ‘TTN 220 -MSV Esther Rajathi,’ allegedly fell into sea while trying to save his live after the vessel capsized in bad weather mid sea off Maldives, was retrieved and kept in a hospital in the Maldives.

Six other crew members who were rescued, are safe and being accommodated in a hotel in the Maldives now, by the Maldives Tamil Sangam.

The accident occurred on Friday midnight, S Princeton Fernando, president, Tuticorin Sail Vessel Owners Association said on Sunday. When the vessel started losing control amidst rough seas at 50 nautical miles off Maldives, the captain of the vessel sent an SOS message and another vessel ‘MV Baradwaj’ offered the stranded crew a helping hand and six crew members were rescued. Stanley’s body would be flown to Madurai airport on Monday and taken by road to Thoothukudi for the last rites, Princeton said.

S Lasington Fernando, secretary of the Association, said the vessel hauling cargo such as cement, machinery and perishable goods weighing about 250 tonnes set off from Thoothukudi at 3 pm, on Wednesday and they were aware of the incident at Saturday noon.

The crew members during the voyage were alerted after the Maldives Port issued a ‘Yellow Alert,’ which forecasted wind velocity of 35 to 45 nautical miles. However, the crew could not be reached over phone as they were sailing on oceanic waters. The vessel was yawing on the stormy sea at 10 feet high tide.

Fortunately, the ship sailing close to it, witnessed the crew stranded under the capsized vessel and managed to rescue six members of the crew. But, Stanley while climbing up onto the ship slipped and fell into the sea, Fernando said, adding that a satellite phone is the need of the hour to help reach the crew at times of distress at sea.

The sail vessel association has been repeatedly demanding the government for the need for providing satellite phones to crewmembers, but in vain, he noted.