Kerala Boat Accident: Survivor recalls near-death experience, says piece of thermocol saved his life

Malappuram: Majeed, a resident of Ponnani, recounts the terrifying incident that occurred when his fishing boat collided with a cargo ship here. He is one of the four people who survived the tragedy that transpired on Sunday night.

“Had the vessel responsible for the incident delayed its return even slightly longer to rescue us, we would not have survived to recount the tale,” he said. He also recalled how the fishermen survived by holding onto a piece of thermocol for two hours in the middle of the sea.

The incident occurred as Majeed and his companions were out fishing in the sea. “We saw the ship only when it approached our boat. Unfortunately, the ship crashed into our boat before any attempts could be made to steer clear. Initially, it was believed that everyone had escaped by jumping into the sea. Later, it was discovered that Salam and Ghafoor, who perished in the accident, were unable to jump.”

Majeed also recounted that the ship went on without halting but returned later to rescue them. After getting stranded for a significant amount of time, Majeed and three others found themselves clinging to a single piece of thermocol, which was used in the boat for storing ice. “As we stayed like that for a long time, our hands began to grow numb. It was at this point that the ship returned and helped us onto their rescue boat. By then, nearly two hours had passed since the accident,” he added.