New Delhi, July 10 (IANS) The sole survivor of the fishing boat tragedy off the Visakhapatnam coast, Andhra Pradesh, has recalled the terrifying moments after the vessel capsized in the Bay of Bengal, saying that seven fishermen were on board, and six of them clung to the overturned boat for nearly nine hours before they were forced to swim for survival.

Narrating the ordeal, survivor Kari Chinna said, “There were seven of us on board the fishing boat. We had gone about 29 nautical miles off the coast for fishing and were returning to shore after finishing our work. When we were around 10 nautical miles from the coast, the boat suddenly capsized.”

“One of the fishermen died instantly when the boat overturned. The remaining six of us clung to the overturned boat for nearly nine hours. As it gradually began to sink, we realised we could no longer rely on it and had to swim to save ourselves,” he told IANS.

The rescue attempt, however, ended in tragedy as authorities on Tuesday called off the search operation for the six fishermen who went missing after the boat capsized off the Visakhapatnam coast on July 4. The four-day-long search and rescue operation by the Indian Navy and Coast Guard failed to locate the missing fishermen.

The fishing boat, owned by Kari Chinna, developed a mechanical failure and capsized while the fishermen were returning to shore after a fishing trip. Chinna was rescued by the crew of a Panama-flagged merchant vessel, ‘MV Universe Wealthy’, on Sunday after spending hours in the sea.

According to doctors, Chinna was airlifted by the Indian Navy from the merchant vessel to INS Dega on Monday evening and was later shifted to KIMS ICON Hospital. His condition remains stable.

Doctors said Chinna reported that the boat capsized at around 3.30 p.m. on Saturday (July 4). He continued swimming in the sea and survived for nearly 18 hours before being rescued by the merchant vessel crew around 9 a.m. on Sunday.

The fishermen had left for fishing on July 1. Their families became concerned after sea conditions worsened due to a low-pressure area over the Bay of Bengal. They had contacted the fishermen over mobile phones and were informed that they would return to the coast by the afternoon of July 4.

However, when the boat failed to return and their mobile phones were found switched off, anxious family members alerted the Coast Guard and Marine Police, triggering the search operation.

Following the decision to end the rescue efforts, the Andhra Pradesh government announced financial assistance of Rs 10 lakh each for the families of the six missing fishermen.

A pall of gloom has descended on the families, who had been hoping for the safe return of their loved ones. The tragedy has raised renewed concerns over fishing safety measures, especially during periods of rough sea conditions.

–IANS

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