The lone survivor of a fishing boat tragedy off the Visakhapatnam coast in Andhra Pradesh shared the harrowing experience. Seven fishermen were on board, and after the boat capsized in the Bay of Bengal, six of them clung to the overturned vessel for nearly nine hours before being compelled to swim for survival.
Narrating the incident, survivor Kari Chinna revealed that while returning from a fishing trip, the boat capsized about 10 nautical miles from the coast. One fisherman lost his life instantly, and the remaining six struggled on the overturned boat until it began to sink, forcing them to swim to safety.
Despite a four-day search and rescue operation by the Indian Navy and Coast Guard, the attempt to find the missing fishermen ended tragically. The rescue mission was called off, leaving the fate of the six fishermen uncertain after the boat capsized on July 4 off the Visakhapatnam coast.
The fishing boat, belonging to Kari Chinna, encountered a mechanical failure leading to the tragic incident. Chinna, the boat owner, was rescued by the crew of a Panama-flagged merchant vessel, ‘MV Universe Wealthy’, after spending hours in the sea following the mishap.
