Daijiworld Media Network - Udupi (SP)

Udupi, Jan 16: Indian Navy, based on the failure of rescue operations conducted so far to find 'Suvarna Tribhuja' fishing boat that had left for fishing from Malpe port on December 15, its owner, Chandrashekhar Kotian, and six other fishermen and went missing thereafter, has concluded that the boat would have drowned after meeting with some kind of accident. Therefore, the Navy has pressed into service its warship, 'INS Kochi' with the intention of surveying the bottom of the sea for the remains of the missing boat.

The said boat had lost all contacts including wireless and mobile, under mysterious circumstances about 40 to 45 nautical miles off Sindhudurg district of Maharashtra. Initially the fishermen had believed that the boat and its fishermen were kidnapped and held captive in Sindhudurg area.

Missing boat 'Suvarna Tribhuja'

The searches conducted by police personnel of the two states, Coast Guard and navy all along Maharashtra seashore had failed to provide any clue about the fishermen or their boat. The officials therefore have concluded that the boat and the fishermen were not abducted.

The ship uses sound navigation and ranging (SONAR) technology under which sound waves are propagated into the bottom of the sea. Calculations about the things which could be lying at the bottom are made on the basis of the time taken for the waves to come back. The officials are unsure how long the operation would take. There is also no clarity about what would have happened to the fishermen if the boat had actually drowned.