Udupi: Fisherman falls into sea; rescued after 14 hours

Udupi: A fisherman was rescued about 14 hours after he fell into the sea accidentally from a fishing boat in Malpe.

The rescued fisherman has been identified as Pukalu Kameya (32) from Andhra Pradesh.

According to sources, Kameya was part of a 35-member fishing crew on a Purse Sein fishing boat that sailed off Malpe.

The incident occurred when the boat was returning after the fishing expedition. Kameya who was at the back end of the boat accidentally fell into the sea. The crew was unaware for a while of his disappearance. When the crew realized that Kameya was missing, they started searching for him at sea. The crew also notified the coast guard about the fisherman lost at sea.

Meanwhile, Kameya held onto dear life on the sea. He, fortunately, found a fishing net cast at sea. He held onto the net to stay afloat until the rescue would arrive.

Kameya was found by the boat while the net was being reeled in at around 3 am on April 18. He was taken out of the water and brought ashore by the boat crew. He was rushed to the District Hospital at Ajjarakadu for medical treatment. He is said to be out of danger and has been released from the hospital.

Recollecting the harrowing incident, Pukalu Kameya said “For the past 5 years I have done various jobs in Malpe including boat maintenance… After I fell into the water, the boat came back. I gestured for help but they did not see me. I hung onto my life using some plastic bottles and a fishing net found in the sea until I was rescued.”