I have been venturing into the sea for fishing for 16 years now, but have never experienced anything like this,” said 45-year-old Vithoba Soma Jakkar, recounting the horror of being stranded in the sea without food and connectivity for five days. Jakkar had set out with four other fishermen from Mahim on November 28 but after reaching Cuffe Parade they started to face the wrath of unseasonal rain and rough sea. Their boat was on the verge of capsizing as the sea turned choppy, but they somehow managed to stay afloat till some local fishermen on another fishing boat finally rescued them. 

The Sagari police, Coast Guard and Indian Navy officers had launched their search operation but Jakkar’s fishing trawler Pandurang Sai could not be traced.