Fishing boat hits shore at Kodi, all 10 rescued

A fishing boat accidentally hit the shore at Kodi near Ullal in Dakshina Kannada district in the wee hours of Sunday. All 10 fishermen on board the boat have been rescued by the locals.

The boat ‘Aznaan’ had left from Mangalore Old Port at 1.30 am. The boat was anchored in the sea after it left for fishing.

However, the rope loosened due to gusty wind and the boat hit the shore, said the boat owners Ashraf H from Mukkachery and Farooq from Bolara.

On hearing a noise, the local residents came out of their houses and saw a boat hitting the boulders dumped to check sea erosion. All the fishermen on board were rescued. The Ullal police have visited the spot and registered a case.

The efforts to salvage the boat was not successful. The fish trays and nets have been washed away in the sea and the boat, which was built at a cost of Rs 1.20 crore, has been damaged.

MLA U T Khader visited the spot and said the efforts to salvage the boat could not be taken up. Crane needs to be used to lift the boat. Only New Mangalore Port Trust has a kind of crane that can be used for lifting the boat. The fisheries department should help in salvaging the boat.

On hearing the boat mishap, a large number of people had gathered at the seashore. The Ullal police who rushed to the spot dispersed the crowd following the Covid-19 regulations.