Polythene bags get entangled in boat propeller; copters find two bodies, one teen still untreaceable
If a hostile weather was a hurdle for Navy and Coast Guard rescuers looking for three missing teenagers in the sea off the Juhu beach on Friday, the operation was hampered by an unexpected obstacle – polythene bags and plastic waste.
After being requested by the anxious relatives of the missing youngsters, a team of Navy divers tried to venture into the choppy Arabian sea on a boat, only to be repeatedly deterred by discarded junks.
"Every time we started the engine and plastic bags got entangled in the propeller. We then abandoned the ops through boats," said a rescuer on the spot told this correspondent.
The search resumed at 7.30 am, a day after five 17-year-olds from Andheri were swept into the sea due to high current. While one was saved, a search began for the remaining four. A team of over 50 from Navy, Coast Guard, Mumbai Fire Brigade and the police were pressed into action. One body was recovered before poor light halted the operation.
Two Coast Guard choppers that hovered over the area spotted two more bodies. At the time of going to print, one youngster was still missing.
Authorities said the teens ignored the warning by lifeguards on the seafront.
Navy's spokesperson, Mehul Karnik confirmed that plastic in the sea got stuck to the special boat, which had to be stopped four times.
With the sea returning tonnes of waste to the shore, civic officials engaged workers to clear the mess. "The plastic bags did not allow the divers to enter the sea, blocking such an important operation," said another rescuer.
All the five friends were the residents of Dadabhai Nawrojee Nagar in Andheri and had visited Juhu chowpatty to play in water.
WHAT A WASTE
7.15 Search resumes
9.30 Two bodies fished out
11.15 Rain starts, ops halted
13.30 Kin demand use of boat
14.30 Navy boat pressed into action
14.40 Plastic gets entangled in propeller
14.45 Disruption due to waste continues
14.55 Ops using boats abandoned
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