Karwar, September 20, 2025 – In a heartwarming gesture, naval officers from INS Tabar honored Nagaprasad Raikar, a young goldsmith from Karwar’s Nandan Gadde neighborhood, for saving the life of a naval officer who fell from a train and sustained serious injuries.

On August 1, Saket Kashyap, an officer on INS Tabar, slipped and fell onto the tracks while boarding a train from Karwar to Mumbai. Unconscious and bleeding profusely, he went unnoticed until Raikar spotted him near Shirawad Maruti Temple. Without hesitation, Raikar lifted the officer onto his bike and rushed him to the district hospital, where emergency surgery was performed on his face. The naval base later transferred him to Patanjali Hospital for further treatment.

As Kashyap recovered, naval officials contacted Raikar and invited him to the base. On Wednesday, when INS Tabar returned from Mumbai to Kadamba Naval Base, the ship’s commander welcomed Raikar aboard. In the presence of all crew members, they felicitated him with gifts, expressing gratitude for his life-saving act.

Raikar, who acted selflessly without knowing the officer’s identity, said, “I just wanted to save a life, regardless of who it was. This honor is the greatest opportunity in my life.”

The monthly “Gabbar Singh” award, given to exemplary crew members on INS Tabar, was bestowed upon Raikar this time, recognizing his heroic deed.

Raikar’s quick thinking prevented a potential tragedy, as another train approached the tracks.