Daijiworld Media Network – Byndoor

Byndoor, Aug 4: A fishing trip turned into a near-tragedy after a boat capsized off the coast of Uppunda in Byndoor taluk on Sunday August 3. Thanks to life jackets, all nine fishermen on board were rescued safely.

The incident occurred when nine fishermen aboard a fishing boat owned by Sharada ventured into the sea from the Madikal beach in Uppunda village. As the boat moved into deeper waters, it was struck by massive waves and overturned, throwing all the occupants into the sea. However, since all of them were wearing life jackets, they were able to stay afloat and swim back to shore.

The rescued fishermen have been identified as Prajwal Kharvi, Pramod Kharvi, Gautham Kharvi, Bhaskar Kharvi, Yogiraj Kharvi, Govind Kharvi, Babu Kharvi, and Deepak Kharvi. Locals quickly rushed to the scene and used a rope and an alternate boat to tow the capsized vessel back to shore, preventing it from being swept away by the sea.

The boat sustained damage to its engine and structure due to the intensity of the waves. Fishing nets aboard the vessel were lost to the sea, resulting in an estimated loss of over Rs 5.5 lac.

The accident took place nearly 10 miles off the Uppunda Madikal coast. The fishermen had already sensed potential danger due to increasing wave intensity, strong winds, and turbulence in the water. As a precaution, they were all advised to wear life jackets before setting out to sea. This timely precaution is credited with saving all nine lives.