Seafarer dies on board, but no word from company yet

July 31st is another sad day for Goan seafarers community as one more young seafarer passed away on board a cruise liner.

| AUGUST 10, 2017, 11:50 PM IST

the goan I network
MARGAO

Goan Seafarers Association of India spokesman Dixon Vaz said that a day before he expired on board a RCCL ship Liberty, 42-year-old Naville Fernandes had called up his wife back home, complaining that he was exhausted due to work pressure.
"Naville had told his wife that he gets only a few minutes to have his meals and was made to carry hundreds of chairs to the upper deck and the environment makes him suffocating. Naville had only two weeks to finish his contract and hoping to finish it so that he can repay loan of his apartment at Borda," Dixon said.
It was around 9 am in the morning while on duty working as a waiter that Naville complained to his fellow waiter of uneasiness and chest pain before walking down to the ship's medical services.
"But at around 2.30 pm, all got the shocking news that Naville had died to heart attack. The ship was at sea and was on the second day of the seven days cruise from Galveston Texas en route to Cozumel Mexico a popular Caribbean port.
It's been three days and there is no word or any communication from the worlds largest cruise company RCCL about Naville's death even after my emails to the company head office," Dixon said.
Dixon said he is making the story of the seafarer public to spread awareness among the community, specially the government to set up a proper office with all the communication, documents and shipping experts who can assist the families in such
circumstances.
"I have been running from pillar to post to raise the issue with the government on how important it is to have a proper seafarers office. The family is still waiting for the mortal remains. There's still no clear information when the family can perform the final rites and who will fight for the seafarers to get justice since there's been more than 12 deaths on board cruise lines over the last few years, with the victims being aged between 35-40 year. This is indeed a serious concern," the GSAI spokesman added.

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