Daijworld Media Network – Mangalore (SP)

Mangalore, Aug 16: A boat with four fishermen on it drowned on the night of Sunday August 15, a few nautical miles off the local fisheries port. One of the fishermen succeeded in swimming to the shore, while three others went missing.

Anand (30), a resident of Ullal, Kotekar near here, succeeded in swimming for one and half hours and reaching the seashore at around 9.30 pm. While the body of Jesuraj (40) from Tamil Nadu has been fished put, Murty (35) and the boat driver, Kalanjium (30), have gone missing, and efforts are on to traced the bodies.

The boat named ‘Mahalasa’ from Bengre, had ventured into the sea for fishing two days ago. On Sunday, the sea turned tumultuous when the boat was returning, and those on the boat had no inkling of it when they decided to return, it is said.

Anand, who was very sick, said that in the darkness, he could not make out the direction of the coast, and swam aimlessly before he reached the shore. He does not know the whereabouts of the other three.

On Sunday afternoon, the district deputy commissioner (DC) of Dakshina Kannada had issued a warning that the sea is likely to turn tumultuous, and asked the fishermen to be very careful. DC, V Ponnuraj, had said that the warning was issued, after 15 ft-high waves were witnessed in Alikal in Kollam district, Kerala, and sensing the likelihood of the disturbance spreading to Karnataka coast. 

The fishermen who were near the coast returned, while those who went to the deep sea might come back after two to three days, said deputy director of fisheries department, Suresh Kumar.