June 27: Rains, failing light, high speed winds and a high tide kept the fire brigade from fishing out a body found bobbing in the sea, near the rocks at Marine Drive today evening. While the coast guard, the navy and the police called for a launch to pick up the floating body, nothing materialised till late in the evening and fire brigade officials watched helplessly as the body rode the waves and was pushed farther away from the shoreline.

The body of a man in a white shirt, floating with his head down, was apparently first sighted by some bystanders at the shore. The fire brigade was called and it reached around 6.45 pm. A huge crowd gathered, watching and exchanging notes while the body remained inaccessible. ``It could be anybody,'' said a fireman, ``who knows, maybe it is one of those who died in the sinking of the ship, Arcadia Pride.''

When fire brigade officials reached the spot, the body was close to the star-shaped boulders that line the wall, at a distance of around 10 metres. But the high tide kept fire brigade officials from entering the sea. Some local boys among the onlookers were keen on entering the sea to reach the body, but the fire brigade was unwilling to take their responsibility. ``Due to the high tide, anybody could find it difficult to return to the shore. Who will be responsible if, in order to reach a dead man, another man were to die?'' asked the station officer of Nariman Point fire brigade, P S Rahangdale.

Two injured in shoot-out

* An estate agent was injured in a firing incident while a stray bullet hit a bystander, when two unidentified men opened fire on them on Friday afternoon at Dongri in South Mumbai.

Around 2.45 pm, Azam Mohammed was standing in Samuel Street when two men armed with firearms accosted him and opened fire. The estate agent ducked and sustained a bullet injury on his left shoulder. Another bystander, Ahmed Abbas was hit by a bullet in his buttocks.Even as both victims collapsed on the ground, the shooters escaped on foot. They were rushed to the J J Hospital, where they are under treatment.

Copyright © 1997 Indian Express Newspapers (Bombay) Ltd.