Ajith was in a state of shock and could not speak for a long time. He could not believe that he had escaped unscathed though the boat he was fishing in was shattered.
Ajith, 42, along with Anandan, 40, and Hameed, 40, had gone fishing at around 2 a.m. on Saturday on Ajith’s boat from Puthiyappa. They were on their way back around 8.15 a.m. when a strong wave destroyed the boat. However, the boat, along with the three fishermen, was washed ashore by another wave.
For Ajith’s family, the boat was their only means of income. He had bought the boat two years ago for Rs.5 lakh, and had been earning a fair profit since then. He was banking on the boat for his children’s education as well as to build a house. His children, Indrajith and Sreelakshmi, are in classes 5 and 4 respectively. The family lives in a shed since their house is being constructed.
The boat was not insured and fisheries officials who visited the site refused to comment. The family was in no position to purchase another boat, Ajith said.
