the goan I network
MARGAO
A fishing boat capsized on Monday while another vessel was towed to the Mobor shore after it ran aground meters after hitting the sand bar near the mouth of river Sal in a space of less than 24 hours.
The crew members of the ill-fated fishing boat that capsized on Monday noon after it was hit by a huge wave before it ran aground were all rescued by lifeguards.
The incident yet again brought to the fore the hostile navigational issues facing fishing boats while venturing out to sea from the Cutbona and Betul jetties and returning back with fish catch.
Sources said in the first incident the purse seine vessel ran aground last night while it was venturing out to sea and the vessel which capsized on Monday noon was returning back to the jetty after fishing. The three members of the fishing vessel were all brought safely to shore by lifeguards.
After receiving message about the fishing boat being stuck on the sand bar due to inclement weather, a lifeguard team led by P Velim immediately rushed with a Jet ski to bring the marooned crew members safely to Mobor beach.
The crew members all escaped unhurt in the incident.
The owner of the fishing boat told The Goan that the vessel ran aground after it was hit by a huge wave.
The Monday afternoon incident comes close on the heels of a fishing vessel running aground near the Mobor beach after hitting the sand bar. The crew members as well as locals lent their hand to tow the fishing nets and other items stacked inside the vessel.
Boat owners claimed that the river Sal mouth had witnessed over a dozen incidents wherein fishing vessels had either ran aground or sank for want of a dedicated navigation channel.
In fact, fishermen claim that they have to wait for hours for the high tide to set in to venture out to sea. Also, they added, it was next to impossible to return during low tide.
In the past, the government had twice taken up dredging of the river Sal mouth, but in vain. The measure had only provided temporary respite to the fishing vessels.
Incidentally, Goa government’s ambitious breakwater project at the mouth of river Sal by constructing a retaining wall deep into the sea has failed to take shape till date after local activists had dragged the matter to the NGT.
The activists had opposed construction of a road on the beach to transport construction material near the river mouth for construction of the retaining wall.
