Rescuer recounts how team saved engineer from sunken ferry

Dar es Salaam. The head of the rescue operation in the MV Nyerere tragedy, whose name wasn’t identified immediately, has recounted how they saved engineer Agostino Charahani.

Speaking to the Chief of Defence Forces, Gen Venance Mabeyo, and the head of the operation said initially they heard a voice of a man who sought help.

He said they started tracking the voice.

They sent a mobile phone, but the man who was trapped in one of the rooms in the capsized vessel couldn’t reply since there was no network.

“We then sent him a note, asking him how many of them were trapped. Fortunately, he responded that they were four,” he said.

 “We then dived and reached the room where the man was trapped. The first thing we did after finding him was to give him a cup of tea because he was starving.”

Gen Mabeyo, who visited the scene of the accident, commended rescuers.

 He said plans were underway to lift the capsized vessel so as to rescue those who are trapped in it.

He hopes the remaining three people who are trapped in the ferry will be rescued.

“We are now waiting for a winch from Mwanza to pull up the capsized vessel and rescue those who are trapped in it,” said Gen Mabeyo.

Mwanza Regional Commissioner John Mongela thanked rescuers from the Mainland and the Isles for their efforts.