MANGALURU: Crew of Fishing Boat (FB) Gain on Thursday recovered body of Siluvai Cruz , 61, a fisherman from Kanyakumari in Tamil Nadu from the Sea even as Coast Guard district headquarters 3 diverted ICGS Amartya to search for him late on Wednesday. Cruz was part of a 16-member crew on board FB Gain that had set out on a fishing expedition from Beypore port in Calicut on November 13 when tragedy struck around 8pm.Haneefa, owner of FB Gain told TOI that Siluvai apparently slipped from the deck and fell in to the Sea. Following an alert from his crew on board the boat, Haneefa alerted the Coast Guard which in turn instructed ICGS Amartya based at New Mangalore out on a routine patrol to trace the fisherman. The incident took place around six nautical miles off Mangaluru coast, DIG S S Dasila, commander, Coast Guard Karnataka, said.ICGS Amartya on routine patrol at sea, was diverted to proceed at full speed for the search and rescue of the missing fisherman. The ship reached the position at 11.40pm and after establishing communication with the fishing boat Gain, carried out an extensive search of the area for the missing fisherman. They also ascertained that the crew of the boat were safe and in a healthy condition and had adequate supplies to reach their destination.Coast Guard district HQ 3, Panambur in the interim, liaised with Coastal Security Police and fisheries department to form part of SAR operation team, as the area was close to the coast and in shallow waters. At about 12.25pm on Thursday, Haneefa informed the authorities that body of Cruz had been recovered, following which ICGS Amartya was directed to resume area patrol. FB Gain reached Beypore Port with Cruz’s body around 8.30pm.“The safety of fishing vessels and fishermen involves several interrelated components, such as the safety devices and trained crew and lifesaving equipment used. On fishing boats, particularly small vessels, crews have to work at sea, on deck in all weather conditions, frequently with hatches open, in order to locate, harvest and preserve their catch. Working conditions in boats are poor and needs improvement to prevent loss of life, especially regarding night lighting, and this increases the strain of the crew on board,” said Dasila.

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