from Daijiworld's special correspondent [Ares]
- The survivor of the ship-trawler collision explains his narrow brush with death
- Two of them survived by floating on a plank for 24 hours
Panaji, Apr 2: It was his 25th birthday. He had given a birthday party to all his colleagues at Malim jetty in Panaji and later ventured out in the sea on fishing trawler, ``Sea Master'', which collided with a hug ship, sinking six crew members the same night off Vengurla coast in Maharashtra.
He along with another colleague survived on a wooden plank for more than 24 hours before another fishing trawler rescued them. This is a story of 25-year-old Manjunath Basappa from Koppal, Karnataka who got the best birthday gift in the form of another life.
Basappa narrated his tale to Daijiworld's special correspondent while he was admitted to Goa Medical college's ward no 113.
Here goes his tale:
It was my 25th birthday. Everyone wished me. We had a small party at Malim jetty before we left to sea. I have been in fishing business for the last 8 years and venturing in the sea is my routine. I was a driver. I gave up that profession and took up this adverturous line.
That evening around 6.30 we left Malim jetty. Everything was fine. Expected a huge catch. Weather too was not windy.
I was steering the trawler from 9 o'clock onwards. I had my dinner and went on the steering wheel. I was there till 11 and then went to sleep. I was sleeping on the upper dock and another guy was on the steering wheel. Yet another guy was sleeping next to me on the upper deck.
It was pitch dark and we were deep in the sea. I did not realize what happened. It was around 3.30 in the morning and our trawler turned turtle. By that time, five people were sleeping at basement after fishing, Two of us on the top and one person was behind the wheel. By the time I opened my eyes the vessel had turned turtle. I along with Ranjit, who is from Orissa, managed to hang on to the trawler for sometime and later caught hold of a wooden plank, which came on the way. We shouted for help but except for the enormous stretch of sea there was nothing.
Only two of us were floating and we saw the entire trawler sinking into the water. It was deep sea and every time we tried to come to the shore, the waves used to take us away. Ranjit lost hopes of survival. I too. But we had no other option than to continue holding the plank.
I told Ranjit that we had no other choice than praying. "Mai tumko yahan se leke jaoonga… dar maat…. Kucch nahi hoga," I told him. But he did not seem have any hope.
Throughout the day we were in the sea with all our entire bodies except our head in water. We were thirsty and had to drink only the salty sea water. That water spoiled our throats. Yet for us to survive that salty water was the only option. It was night again. And pitch dark with no visibility of any ship. Hopes deemed further.
And……
It was around 11 in the night when we saw a trawler crossing. It was like godsend. I managed to shout again. The trawler was from Karnataka. They lifted us. And handed over to another trawler which brought us to Goa.
I will give up fishing now. I was better off as a driver…….