Author: Gilvester and S P Babu
Publication: NDTV
Date: December 27, 2004
URL: http://www.ndtv.com/template/template.asp?template=Tsunami&slug=Fishermen+rescue+tourists+in+Kanyakumari&id=65854&callid=1
Bravery of fishermen in Kanyakumari
helped to save the lives of over 500 people at the Vivekananda rock memorial
on Sunday.
Undeterred by the menacingly high
tides, fishermen put their boats out into the sea and went to rescue the
stranded tourists after the deadly Tsunami waves hit India's southeast
coast on Sunday morning.
Stranded tourists
They made several trips to the rock
memorial to bring the stranded tourists to safety.
"We just could not watch people
helplessly waving at us from the rock memorial for help. We took the initiative
first and police and others came after that," said Lenin, a local fisherman.
"Initially nobody was there from
the administration. So we did not care for our lives and just plunged into
the sea to save them," said Praveen, a local fisherman.
The IAF helicopter, which was called
to airlift the stranded people, made several sorties to the rock memorial
but could not land there.
All it could do was drop food and
water packets. It was then that the local fishermen swung into action and
virtually took over the rescue operations. And completed it successfully.
Daring act
Had it not been for their daring
act, these people would not have made it to the shores safely.
"We are alive today because of the
help of local people. The fishermen and boat operators came and saved us,"
said Sanjay Garde, a tourist from Pune.
Even the police have acknowledged
the role played by the local fishermen.
"More than 100 fishermen in Kanyakumari
helped me and we all worked together," said Mohan Shanker, DIG, Tirunelveli
Range.
While Tsunami may have killed thousands
across nations, it clearly could not kill the spirits of thousands of such
heroes whose act of bravery might have made all the difference for many
people at many places.
