Unsung hero of the sea
- by Armstrong Vaz
A young man in his early 30�s is all dressed up in his wedding suit to proceed to his friends wedding at Utorda in Salcete. Suddenly it is a call of anguish and desperation. It is a call of the sea - a call which can change a script from hope to tragedy. Rodney�s friends know that he is the only answer between the pendulum of death and life.
Rodney does not disappoint his friends. Off come the shoes and suits and he plunges himself into the sea - a plunge to save the life of two youths struggling for life and fighting death in its face - a scene which is straight from the 'reel' life but enacted in real
life by Rodney.
Meet thirty three old Rodney Rebello from Palolem Canacona - a real life hero - an unsung hero of Goa, who has shun all publicity and glare. Rodney is the shack owner of "Titantic" at Palolem. He has changed tracks many times in life changing and moving from one job to another but the one job he has stuck to is his closeness to the sea.
Rodney has spent his youthful jest and energy working in Mobor. Spending his childhood in Palolem, swimming came to Rebello like a duckling to water. He further harnessed his skills while going out with the big nets of the Ramponkars -- the traditional fisherman nets.
ARMSTRONG VAZ takes a
closer look at the heroic feat of Rodney- deep in the sea - saving life of fellow human beings which he has been doing with dedication for the last eleven years unmindful of the dangers and with out any monetary returns.
He clutches to one of the two and cries for a rope to be brought in the water to tow away the unconscious body. His cries for help are futile, the rope is not available and valuable time is lost in bringing the man to shore, timely equipment which could have mattered between life and death.
He is rushed to hospital but does not survive. The other swimmer's dead body is washed ashore few hours later.
Rodney's efforts go in vain. Paradoxically, when he attends the wedding late in the evening at Utorda, and he inadvertently hears the news of the death of the man he tried to save and also people pointing out to the house
close to the church where a big tragedy had set in with the death of the Radio Officer on board the ship.
Rodney is used to the current and the behavior of the sea both in the rainy and non rainy season, the danger of swimming in certain areas of Palolem beach and the dangers of swimming in those areas during low tide time.
He too had a brush between life and death while trying to save his friend in the choppy, rainy season out in the sea. He saved his friend not before he himself had a few butterflies in his stomach. Recalling the incident he mentions that both of them had gone swimming and suddenly his friend was taken in by the currents. Twice he was taken deep inside in the water by his friend while trying to save him but he eventually managed to break free from his clutches and then left with no alternative. Rodney had to give a punch on the nose of his friend to make him unconscious, and bring him back safely to the shore. Although there
were other friends swimming in the seas, no one knew what was happening. The only word he heard from his friend was a slang word and that he was drowning. The other friends, he recollects, thought they were playing in the water.
Rodney began his brush with destiny twelve years back when he rescued two Indian tourists drowning in the sea. That was the start of the thankless social service, a service where he has not received any recognition, no credit, and no appreciation from the lives he saved. But he does not need them.
According to his own account he has saved the lives of seven people on the beach during the last eleven years including two foreign tourists. Fate has not been good for some others where he believes the necessary infrastructure and rescue equipment could have added to his list of life saving equipment, he adds ruefully.
He even was selected for the job of a life guard but with duty hours coinciding with his business hours he did not take
it up.
He has however, an interesting suggestion for grabs for the top heads at the Tourism Dept. He suggests that the tourism dept. train and provide equipment to each of the shack owners to impart the much needed support to save life and make swimming more safe. A few life guards cannot comb the entire beach and by the time help arrives it is too late he opined.
Another observation is that it pains him to read in the newspapers that when he has been active in rendering help in saving life, at numerous occasions, the life guards get the credit for helping people from getting drowned.
He takes no credit for this humanitarian task where his own life is at risk. He thinks that all human beings in this world are to help each other.
The universal message of love and caring towards fellow beings is his greatest unwritten code in life.
WHAT'S ON AROUND WITH THE GOANS IN THE GULF:
MAY BALL 2005
Date: 12-05-05 Organized by Goan Welfare Society (GWS)-Kuwait
Venue: Safir Palace Hotel, Riggea Band: Stepping Stones
Highlights: Crowning of the MAY QUEEN 2005.
YGC BAHRAIN MAY QUEEN BALL
Date: 05-05-05 Organized by: Young Goans Club, Bahrain
Venue: Palace Inn Hotel Highlights: The YGC May Queen Contest
ANNUAL MAY QUEEN BALL
Date: 05-05-05 Organized by Goan Welfare Associate(GWA), Qatar
Venue: The Diplomatic Club. Highlights: Crowning of the May Queen.
UPCOMING EVENT IN GOA:
FRUIT FEST 2005 http://www.goa-world.com/goa/fruitfest/
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