Karnataka: Deep-sea fishing boat capsizes after hitting boulders, crew safe

MANGALURU: A deep-sea fishing boat with 10 crew on board, capsized after hitting boulders near the Mogaveerapatna shore in Ullal police station limits, in the early hours of Sunday. All the crew members have been rescued.
According to police, the incident took place at 1 am. The deep-sea boat piloted by Anees with nine other fishermen on board, had left Kotepura around 11pm on Saturday. Anees, after traversing for about five km, and when he was unable to navigate further, decided to return to the shore. While returning, the boat crashed into boulders placed near Mogaveerapatna, about five kilometres away from Kotepura. The boulders have been placed there to prevent sea erosion. Before the boat could capsize, the crew members managed to return to the shore.
The police is also investigating the allegation that the captain was under the influence of alcohol. A case has been registered.
Efforts on salvage tug, no trace of missing crew
The salvaging of the ill-fated ‘Alliance’ tug that capsized after drifting away from its anchorage at Padubdiri, due to the impact of Cyclone Tauktae, is under process. Meanwhile, there is no trace of the three missing crew members.
The tug contractor told TOI that the efforts to salvage the sunk tug commenced on May 19. “However, till Friday, we were facing technical issues. The machinery used to salvage the tug, wasn’t able to handle the heavy load of the capsized vessel. Two firms—Yojaka and Badriya—will work on the operation. If all goes well, we shall see some results by Monday evening,” said the contractor, suspecting that at least two missing crew members may be trapped inside the tug.
Two people died and three others survived, after the tug ‘Alliance’ with eight people on board, capsized off the Padubidri coast on May 15. The tug belongs to Underwater Services Company Ltd, and was assisting MRPL under a contract to facilitate single point mooring (SPM) operations, whenever crude cargo arrives in ships.