KOZHIKODE: When floods swallowed Kerala, and storms tore through the coast, rescue boats did not always carry men in uniforms. Rather, they carried fishermen.
Long before official systems could mobilise, local fishermen cut through dangerous waters, rescuing families trapped in rising tides. Shobith K from Puthiyappa in Kozhikode district was one among those fishermen.
When he first cast his fishing net as a teenager, he never imagined that one day he would be learning how to lift an unconscious body onto a rescue boat, secure a spinal injury victim onto a spine board, or administer CPR in the middle of open waters.
Yet, on the final days of his training at the National Institute of Water Sports in Panaji, the young fisherman stands ready, not just to catch fish, but to save lives.
Shobith is part of the last batch of Kerala’s ambitious Sea Rescue Squad (SRS) initiative, a mission that has trained 900 fishermen from across the state to become certified first responders at sea.
Shortlisted by the Kerala fisheries department with the support of the National Institute of Water Sports, Goa, candidates underwent physical screening and swimming tests in Kozhikode. Only those who met the standards, including completing a 100-metre swim within a fixed time, were selected and sent for the 15-day programme in Goa.
The current and final batch includes 24 fishermen from Kasaragod and seven from Kozhikode. Since 2018, groups of 40 at a time have travelled to Goa, marking the steady building of a coastal safety force that now has 900 members. The state government has invested `50,000 per participant to make the initiative possible, including a `700 stipend for each candidate undergoing the training.
The programme aims to build a 24/7 volunteer-driven rescue presence at fishing harbours across Kerala -- a skilled first-response network ready to intervene before larger forces arrive. Pawan Gupta, Director, National Institute of Water Sports said, “This programme is about converting traditional knowledge into a certified, professional first-response force that can act swiftly during coastal and marine emergencies.”