Daijiworld Media Network - Mangaluru (SP)

Mangaluru, May 2: After a deep sea fishing boat hit another fishing boat that had left from the old port dock here, the other boat sank. Five fishermen who were in the boat survived for three long hours by clinging on to diesel cans and wearing life jackets till they were found and rescued by another boat.

The ill-fated boat, 'Vanitha Sagar' from a sandpit at Bengare, was engaged in fishing activity some distance away from the estuary on the night of Sunday April 30, when another boat plowed into it. After the boat sank, the boat owner, Sachin Shriyan, Varshit, Laxmish, Dinakar and Shivaram Mendon, all from Bengre, who were inside the boat at the time, wore life jackets and clung onto the diesel cans for about three hours. The accident had happened at 3 am and the fishermen who stayed afloat in the water by swimming around, were noticed by another fishing boat, 'Jaladurga' which came that way. The fishermen in that boat rescued all the five fishermen of the sunken boat.

The value of the boat which went underwater has been put at ten lac rupees. The errant boat sped away without stopping to ensure safety of the fishermen in the other boat after knocking this fishing boat down, it is said. A complaint about this accident was filed at Panambur station on Monday.