Salvador Pereira of the ‘UK Goan Dynamic Group’ presents a cheque for £5,000 to Judy Goes (second from left), niece of Benaulim fisherman Francisco (Pele) Fernandes, at Hounslow-London.
LONDON
A newly formed Goan group from West London raised £5,000 (Rs 5.98 lakh) as a cash reward for Benaulim fisherman Francisco Fernandes, popularly known as ‘Pele’, to honour his bravery for helping save 27 fishermen from a vessel which ran aground near the mouth of the River Sal.
Pele was among the first to respond to calls shortly after the fishing vessel had run aground on the night of September 27 and had rushed to Mobor with his jet ski in the wee hours.
“When I reached Mobor, the sea conditions were hostile, with large waves crashing against the shore. So, we decided to wait until dawn to begin the rescue,” he had told the media.
At daybreak, Pele approached the grounded vessel in a bid to rescue the fishermen who had been stranded in the sea for several hours.
“I couldn’t get my jet ski too close due to the ill-fated vessel. So I asked the crew to wear their life jackets and jump into the water, one by one,” he told reporters.
Drishti Marine lifesavers and additional jet skis also joined the rescue operation, enabling the safe rescue of all 27 crew members.
Acknowledging his brave efforts, members of the ‘UK Goan Dynamic Group’ gathered outside a church in Hounslow for a brief meeting on October 4.
On behalf of her uncle Pele, Judy Goes received a cheque for £5,000 from one of the core members, Salvador Pereira of Hounslow, and a bouquet from another member, Ella Fernandes.
In his address, Pereira said they had raised funds from various Goans and other well-wishers to honour Pele’s bravery.
“Pele had risked his life and gone on his jet ski in the rough sea to help save the 27 fishermen who were stranded on the grounded vessel. St Francis Xavier, our Goencho Saib, will always be there to look after him. I was happy to present the cheque to Pele’s niece, Judy Goes, on behalf of the UK Goan Dynamic Group,” said Pereira.
Ella Fernandes praised Pele for helping in the rescue of 27 fishermen from a sinking vessel under very rough sea conditions.
“Pele is the ‘Rakhondar’ (Guardian) for the fishing community in Goa,” said Fernandes.
Judy Goes thanked the ‘UK Goan Dynamic Group’ for their kind gesture to felicitate and present a cash award to her uncle, while also acknowledging his contribution to the people of Goa.
Incidentally, Pele’s catchphrase “Every day is a good day” has not only gone viral on social media, but it has also been recognised by Goans in the UK.
The UK Goan Dynamic Group (West London) core group comprises Michael Bevan D’Silva, Vincy Andrade, Patrick Rodrigues and Salvador Pereira.
