Udupi: A deep-sea fishing boat that departed from Malpe fishing port sank in the Arabian Sea near Kodi Bengre after reportedly suffering damage at sea. All six fishermen on board were rescued safely after nearby fishermen responded to a distress call and shifted them to another vessel before the boat submerged completely.

Boat developed leak after impact at sea

According to information available, the fishing boat named Sai Datta, owned by Sandeep Kumar of Kidiyoor Padukare, had left Malpe fishing port at around 10:30 pm on May 17 for a fishing expedition.

The incident reportedly occurred on May 19 at around 4:30 pm while the vessel was operating in waters around 38 metres deep off the Kodi Bengre coast.

The crew allegedly heard a loud sound after an unidentified object struck the rear lower section of the vessel. Following the impact, tandel Raghavendra inspected the lower deck and found that seawater had started entering the boat rapidly.

Police and fisheries sources indicated that the inflow of water increased quickly, creating a dangerous situation for the crew members on board.

Distress call led to immediate rescue

After noticing the flooding, the fishermen immediately sought assistance from a nearby fishing boat identified as Sri Amma Bhavani.

Despite attempts to control the situation and pump out the incoming water, the crew was unable to stop the flooding.

As the condition of the boat worsened, all six fishermen were safely shifted to the rescue vessel.

The rescued fishermen have been identified as tandel Raghavendra from Uttara Kannada district and crew members Rohidas Mogera, Shyam Sundar Malik, Ujwal Malik, Satyajit Malik and Thrilesh Bhaskar.

Officials stated that the timely response by the nearby fishing crew played a crucial role in preventing loss of life.

Boat sank during towing attempt

Following the rescue operation, efforts were made to bring the damaged vessel back to Malpe fishing port.

Reports indicated that the Sri Amma Bhavani crew attempted to tow the sinking vessel towards the shore. However, during the process, the rear towing pole of the rescue boat reportedly snapped.

As a result, the damaged Sai Datta boat could not be secured and eventually sank into the Arabian Sea at approximately 11:00 pm.

The complete submergence of the vessel resulted in the loss of fishing equipment and materials on board.

Loss estimated at ₹65 lakh

The financial loss resulting from the incident is estimated at nearly ₹65 lakh.

The estimated losses reportedly include the value of the fishing boat, fishing nets, diesel stock and the fish catch collected during the expedition.

Authorities are expected to gather further information regarding the incident, including the possible cause of the impact that damaged the vessel.

Although the incident resulted in significant financial losses, the safe rescue of all six fishermen prevented a major tragedy at sea.