NAGAPATTINAM: A 49-year-old fisherman from Ramanathapuram district suffered a fatal cardiac arrest when fishing with a group near Point Calimere in the early hours of Sunday. As a fishing ban was in effect in Ramanathapuram in view of the prime minister’s visit, the crew steered the vessel towards Kodiyakarai from where the fisherman’s body was taken to his native village by road, sources said.
The deceased has been identified as A Archis of Thangachimadam in Ramanathapuram district. According to sources, a group of eight, including Archis, put out to sea on January 17 from Pamban in an FRP motorised vallam boat registered in the name of A Sudhakar of Pamban. Around 5 am on Sunday, the group was fishing about 16 nautical miles from Kodiyakarai (Point Calimere) when Archis complained of chest pain and discomfort.
Others in the vessel contacted the Indian Coast Guard patrolling a nautical mile away via transceiver. Responding to the emergency, the coast guard took Archis onboard their vessel and treated him. He, however, passed away. Realising that they could not head back to Ramanathapuram by sea due to the fishing ban in effect during January 18-21, the fisher group steered towards Kodiyakarai and landed around 10 am.
An autopsy was performed on the body at Vedaranyam General Hospital and a case of suspicious death was registered at a marine police station in Vedaranyam. Archis’ body was subsequently taken to his native village by road.