Six fishermen rescued after deep-sea fishing boat Sai Datta sinks near Kodi Bengre causing losses worth Rs 65 lakh
Udupi: A major maritime accident was narrowly averted off the Karnataka coast after a deep-sea fishing boat that had sailed from Malpe fishing port sank into the Arabian Sea near Kodi Bengre, while all six fishermen onboard were rescued safely.
The incident occurred on the night of May 19 when the fishing vessel identified as ‘Sai Datta’ reportedly developed severe flooding after an unidentified object struck the boat during a fishing expedition in deep waters.
The boat was owned by Sandeep Kumar from Kidiyoor Padukare in Udupi district.
Fishing Boat Sank Near Kodi Bengre Coast
According to reports, the boat had departed from Malpe Fishing Harbour at around 10:30 pm on May 17 for deep-sea fishing operations.
At approximately 4:30 pm on May 19, while operating at a depth of nearly 38 meters off the Kodi Bengre coast, the crew reportedly heard a loud impact from beneath the vessel.
Tandel Raghavendra, a resident of Uttara Kannada district, reportedly inspected the lower section of the boat and discovered water rapidly entering the vessel after the impact.
The other rescued fishermen were identified as Rohidas Mogera, Shyam Sundar Malik, Ujwal Malik, Satyajit Malik and Thrilesh Bhaskar.
“Water began entering the vessel rapidly after the impact, forcing the crew to seek immediate rescue assistance,” sources said.
Nearby Fishing Boat Rescued All Six Fishermen
After realizing the seriousness of the situation, the crew immediately contacted a nearby fishing boat identified as Sri Amma Bhavani for emergency assistance.
Despite repeated attempts to pump out water from the flooding vessel, the crew could not prevent the boat from sinking.
All six fishermen were safely shifted to the rescue boat before conditions worsened.
Authorities stated that efforts were made to tow the damaged Sai Datta vessel back toward Malpe port. However, during the rescue attempt, the rear towing pole of the Sri Amma Bhavani boat reportedly snapped, making further recovery impossible.
The Sai Datta fishing boat eventually sank completely into the Arabian Sea at around 11 pm.
Loss Estimated at Rs 65 Lakh
Officials and local fishermen estimated the total financial loss caused by the incident, including the fishing boat, nets, diesel and fish catch, at nearly Rs 65 lakh.
The exact cause behind the mysterious underwater impact that damaged the boat remains unclear.
