Thane: Woman falls into Bhayander creek, rescued 7 hours later

MUMBAI: Fishermen called it a miracle that a woman who fell into the waters of Bhayander creek on Sunday evening, stayed afloat for over seven hours and survived the ordeal. The woman, Ranjana Vishwakarma (30), clung on to a berthed boat at the jetty, screaming for help.
The Nalasopara resident had walked to the bridge with a friend from the locality. In a police complaint, the friend said Vishwakarma had asked her to accompany her to the creek bridge from where her brother had jumped and died a few months ago.
Around 7 pm, while they were standing on the bridge, it began raining. Vishwakarma's umbrella flew off due to the wind and while trying to grab it, she slipped and fell into the creek. Her friend local fishermen who, in turn, informed the police who reached there along with locals. A search began but was called off as it was too dark and the choppy creekwaters.
Later, labourers on Holy Sky boat that was berthed at the jetty heard a woman's screams for help.s. "They said they thought it was a ghost," said fishing union leader from Bhayander Bernard D'Mello, since no one can reach the jetty during low tide as it is full of muck.
They were shocked to see a woman clinging onto a boat. They pulled her to safety. The labourers gave her a T-shirt and shorts to change into, made tea and chapatis for her.
It was only at around 5 am when it was hightide that the boat sailed to the jetty. Vishwakarma told her rescuers that she cannot swim. She said she remembered falling off the bridge, about 9 metres below into the water, but does not recollect how she landed at the jetty. Shewas later reunited with her family.
Over two weeks ago, a person had fallen into the creek was rescued. On July 22, a 16-year-old who had jumped into the Bhayander creek was rescued by two fishermen. The bridge is supposed to be manned by railway cops.
"We havehad bodies washed ashore but this is the first time that a person reached this far alive," said D'Mello.