With the news of Anthony Clive Themudo's release at Navelim village in South Goa, known for its sailor community, Anthony's family bursted into celebrations.
PANAJI: With the news of Anthony Clive Themudo's release at Navelim village in South Goa, known for its sailor community, Anthony's family bursted into celebrations.
The relief came almost after one-and-a-half months of tensed moments when M V Iran Deyanat was hijacked by pirates off Somalia cost on August 22.
Anthony was one among the three Indian crew given safe passage by the pirates on Friday.
"My mother picked up the phone yesterday. She was so much excited with the news," Shery, Anthony's sister said on Saturday.
The family had earlier pleaded with the Central government to intervene to free the crew members.
"Anthony is in Mumbai and will soon return back.. We are so much relieved," Shery said. Navelim village, where the family stays, is predominantly a place from where youths prefer to be sailors.
The family says that despite such an odd experience, they will allow Anthony to sail again. "We have no other alternative. I can't ask him to stay back. What will he do here being a trained sailor," Anthony's mother Mercy quipped.
Themudo's family has been praying for the last one-and-a- half-month for the release of their only son. "Finally, God listened to my prayers. I can't express how I felt when I heard the news," the happy mother said.
Now the family waits for the return of Themudo. "He may be back within a fortnight. He has been taken ashore and some formalities are being completed," Shery said.
The Somali pirates had released three Indians and 26 other members of the crew on board a hijacked cargo ship after keeping them in captivity for more than one-and-a-half months.
"The vessel has been released by Somali pirates and all the crew members are safe and healthy," the Directorate General of Shipping had said on Friday in a release in Mumbai.
Other Indian crew released were Jeevan Kiran D'Souza of Kasargod in Karnataka and Akbar Ali Rafeeque Juwale of Ratnagiri in Maharashtra.
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