3 swept away in creek during Ganesh idol immersion in Palghar, rescued

Palghar, Sep 7 (PTI) Three men swept away in a creek during Ganpati idol immersion in Maharashtra's Palghar district have been saved with the help of a Ro-Ro boat after a quick alert from maritime authorities, officials said on Sunday.

The incident took place at around 3 pm on Saturday at Narangi jetty in Virar (West), they said.

The three men were participating in the Ganpati idol immersion when one of them slipped and fell into the creek. In a bid to save their friend, the other two men immediately jumped into the water, district disaster management cell chief Vivekanand Kadam said.

However, due to the low tide and the strong sea water current, the three men got pulled further away from the jetty and they started to drift.

Upon receiving an alert about the incident, Maharashtra Maritime Board Port inspector Navneet Nijai immediately contacted Aadesh Naik, an employee on a nearby Ro-Ro (roll on-roll off) boat service, and relayed the urgent situation.

The boat was quickly dispatched to the location, reaching the three struggling men in a short time, Kadam said.

The three individuals were later safely pulled out of the waters through a coordinated effort by various agencies and brought back to the jetty, the official said. PTI COR GK