Fishing boat sinks in Ullal, Fishermen rescued

Ullal: A trawler boat sank after hitting a rock while returning from a fishing expedition at sea on Friday morning. Fishermen on the boat were rescued by other vessels in the area. The accident resulted in the loss of fish, nets, and significant damage to the boat.

The boat named “Navami-Shivani” from Ullala, owned by Nayana P Suvarna, hit a stone near the reef, leading to its sinking.

The boat was driven by Praveen Suvarna, Nayana’s husband, along with five fishermen from Uttar Pradesh – Samar Bahadur, Ram Manoj, Rohit, Prakash, and Vasu. Fortunately, the timely intervention of local fishermen from two boats prevented a tragedy.

The incident unfolded when the boat’s propeller got stuck, causing it to hit a survey stone near the reef due to low tide. Despite efforts by local fishermen from “Durga Lakshmi” and “Shri Gowri” boats to tow the sinking vessel ashore, the rope broke, leading to further challenges.

The ‘Jai Maruti’ speed boat, owned by Ashwin Kotyan, later dragged the affected vessel to the old port dock. The Ullal Police Station has registered a case in connection with the incident.

The absence of a signal system near the survey stone has raised concerns among local fishermen. They highlight the need for a signaling mechanism to alert them about potential hazards, emphasizing that many accidents occur in the Ullal environment due to the lack of such a system.