The crew of a mechanised boat that had ventured into the sea from Thaengaaipattinam fishing harbour in Kanniyakumari district for multi-day deep sea stay fishing had a miraculous escape when a ship hit the fishing vessel off the Kasargod coast on Sunday.

Mechanised boat ‘Susanna’ owned by T. Punitha of Chinnathurai near Thoothoor in Kanniyakumari district, which had gone for fishing from Thaengaaipattinam fishing harbour on May 12, was returning to the base. When the fishing vessel was 10 nautical miles off Kasargode coast around 4.30 a.m. on May 24, a ship, which was later identified as ‘Ocean Radiance’, hit the boat while crossing this zone and sped away without assisting the six crew in the damaged fishing vessel. One of the fishermen in the mechanised boat was reportedly injured in the incident.

Upon reaching Mangaluru in Karnataka in the damaged boat with the help of other vessels in the vicinity, driver of the boat K. Antony filed a complaint with the local police. However, he was advised to lodge the complaint with Kasargode police as the mishap had indeed taken place in the Kerala waters close to the Kasargode shores.

After the First Information Report was registered by Coastal Police Station Kumbla, the police started the investigation.