Arif Bamane, a pilot boat captain, is being hailed as a hero for his swift actions during a ferry collision near Mumbai’s Gateway of India on December 18th. The incident, which claimed 13 lives, saw Arif and his team save at least 30 people, including a three-year-old and a newborn. Responding to a distress call, he reached the scene rapidly and found people struggling in the water without life jackets.
Arif and his team pulled people from the waves, prioritizing children and women, providing them with life jackets, and reassurance. He recounted saving a little girl whose lungs were filled with water and resuscitating a non-breathing newborn by hanging him upside down. In one instance, he dove into the sea to rescue a young girl being swept by waves.
Arif’s courageous actions mitigated the tragedy, earning him recognition as a hero both online and offline. Survivors credit his intervention as miraculous. Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray felicitated Arif Bamane on December 24th, further cementing his status as a true example of humanity.