THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: A fisherman went missing after his boat capsized off the Shankhumukham coast on Saturday morning. The missing fisherman has been identified as Mahesh (32). He and another fisherman, Wilson had ventured out to the sea early in the morning to anchor their boat in Vizhinjam in preparation to go fishing on Sunday. Delayed response by the Coastal Police triggered protests.
The incident happened at around 8.15am when their boat capsized. Wilson was rescued by lifeguards and brought to shore safely.
The search for Mahesh is still ongoing. Lifeguards and local fishermen have been involved in the search efforts, but there has been no sign of Mahesh.
“The chances of rescuing Mahesh are very low. The water flow is now inward, it is possible to rescue someone only if they are on the water surface. Mahesh is healthy and experienced with the sea, but since their boat overturned off the coast, lifeguards suspect he might have hit his head on the rocks,” said Robin, a lifeguard.
Residents expressed frustration over the delayed response from the coastal police and lifeguards, who reportedly arrived at the scene around 10 am, almost two hours after the boat capsized. They added that the delay reduced the chances of a successful rescue.
“The delayed response from the authorities is unacceptable,” said Ajith Shankhumukham, a resident and activist. Residents are mostly of the opinion that the unscientific shoreline protection methods have destabilised the coastline, making it difficult for fishermen to predict sea conditions.
Residents of Shankhumukham have long been concerned about the lack of proper anchoring facilities in their area, which forces them to travel to Vizhinjam.
According to them, this adds unnecessary risks to their daily activities. “The argument that sea walls are unscientific is baseless. Sea levels are rising, and water from areas like Azhimukham, Poovar, and Poonthura ultimately flows into the sea. Without the construction of sea walls, the impact of the waves would be even stronger,” added Robin.
MLA Antony Raju visited the site on Saturday morning and addressed the concerns of the locals. He said that the coast guard had responded as quickly as possible, considering the distance from Vizhinjam and promised that no further delays were caused by the coast guard’s response.
The man who escaped after the boat capsized was Vincent. Mahesh’s wife Sandra Manian is a homemaker.They have two children – Liya, 7, and Rayan, 5.