Seven fishermen who were in a fishing boat were narrowly saved on the shores of the Bay of Bengal on Thursday morning as heavy sea waves battered the shores of Andhra Pradesh due to the arrival of the well-marked low-pressure system over the sea after capsizing their boat near the Fishing Harbour in Visakhapatnam.
The fishermen went out for a routine fishing trip around 7 am and the fishermen’s boat toppled over due to the high waves while they were fishing their nets, according to police. Eventually, the boat capsized and floated towards the tetrapods near the harbour, trapping the fishermen under the capsized boat.
All seven fishermen were able to cling on to the wreckage until rescuers arrived at the scene, officials had said. Tata Rao and Akash, the two fishermen, sustained serious wounds and were admitted to King George Hospital (KGH), in Visakhapatnam, for treatment. The other 5 escaped uninjured.
According to one of those who escaped, it was an unforeseen tides that caused the accident, and he thanked his luck for making it through. He also pointed out that the crew suffered a heavy financial loss since the fishing boat, worth around Rs 2.5 lakh, and the fishing nets valued at almost Rs 2 lakh got totally lost, causing a loss of nearly Rs 4.5 lakh.
The fishermen went to the State Government for financial aid to rebuild their livelihoods.
In doing so, the Home Minister Vangalapudi Anitha has spoken to the District Collector of the area, M Abhishikth Kishore and the Police Commissioner of the area, Shankara Brata Bagchi, to ensure that the affected fishermen get proper medical treatment as well as required support.