“The ship’s crew saved my life, but my heart breaks for my boys,” said Kari Chinna, the only one of seven fishermen to survive after their boat capsized off the Visakhapatnam coast on July 4. By his account, he last saw three of his crew swimming towards the lights of a passing ship before the waves pulled them away. Six of the crew are still missing, and the search went into its second day on Monday (July 6, 2026).
The mechanised fishing boat left the Visakhapatnam Fishing Harbour on July 1 for a routine fishing trip. It was scheduled to return to the port by the afternoon of July 4. But the vessel failed to reach the harbour as planned. The last contact with the crew was on July 4, when they told their families that they were off the Gangavaram coast and were preparing to head back to shore. Soon after this, the vessel met a sudden and violent shift in weather.
The seven crew members aboard have been identified as the boat owner and driver, Kari Chinna, along with the six missing fishermen, Amara Appalaraju, Kari Garagayya, Kari Chinnaya, Kari Seethodu, Raguthu Bandiyya and Meda Chinna Ammoru. Most of the fishermen are from Mukkam village in Bhogapuram mandal, with Raguthu Bandiyya from Peda Nagamayya Palem in Bheemunipatnam mandal of Visakhapatnam district.
Kari Chinna was rescued by the Panama-flagged merchant vessel MV Universe Wealthy, which has a crew of 21 Chinese nationals, on July 5 and is safe and healthy.
By his account, high waves and strong winds swamped the boat, and it capsized. The crew clung to the overturned vessel, but the rough sea tore six of them apart and swept them away.
“We were on the way back on July 4, and all of us spoke to our family members, saying we would dock by 3 p.m. The calls were made around 2 p.m., but within an hour the weather turned violent. Strong monsoon winds began rocking the boat and the sea swell turned very high, and suddenly the engine failed. At that point we were about 10 to 12 nautical miles off the Gangavaram coast,” Kari Chinna said.
The Wreck and Separation
Stranded without power, the boat took the force of massive, surging waves. As it met severe turbulence, the hull began to founder and rapidly fill with water.
“The waves were towering over us. When the boat started sinking, panic set in. As the vessel went under, we had no choice but to jump into the freezing, pitch-black water to save our lives. We tried to stay together, but the ocean currents were strong,” Kari Chinna said.
“In the distance, through the darkness, we saw the lights of a cargo ship. Three of my crew tried to swim towards it. The heavy drift and powerful waves pulled them away instantly. That was the last time I saw them,” Mr. Chinna recalled.
Kari Chinna stayed afloat by battling the currents for hours. By Sunday morning, July 5, the Panama-flagged vessel spotted him drifting in the open ocean and lowered gear to pull him aboard.
The Indian Coast Guard sent a patrol vessel from Kakinada to take Kari Chinna from the merchant ship and bring him back to shore.
The search
The search for the six missing crew members has widened across agencies. The Indian Coast Guard has deployed several vessels, among them the ICGS Kanaklata Barua and the ICGS Veera, to scan the area. The Indian Navy has joined the effort, providing aerial cover through helicopter sorties.
Gopinath Jatti, Inspector General of Police, Visakhapatnam Range, and in charge of coastal security, is overseeing the operation from the Regional Operations Station in Visakhapatnam. He is coordinating with the Indian Coast Guard and naval officials to see that the search grid is covered.
“Despite the challenges posed by adverse weather, electronic surveillance and surface search patrols remain active to locate the missing fishermen,” Mr. Jatti said on Monday.
Meteorological reports said the low-pressure system over the Bay of Bengal had made the sea far rougher, creating conditions dangerous for small boats. The Fisheries Department had issued advisories against deep-sea trips during this period, but many boats already at sea were caught in the rapid change of weather while trying to return to safety.
As the search entered its second day on Monday (July 6, 2026), local authorities and community leaders were supporting the families of the missing, and officials remained committed to the search to bring the remaining crew members home.
Published – July 06, 2026 06:59 pm IST
