An accidental fall could have caused the death of the 37-year-old Chinese sailor on board a cargo vessel off the coast of Vizhinjam last week, according to State police investigators.
An Indian Coast Guard (ICG) vessel had evacuated Yushiyang from Vivian Ocean, a Chinese-owned ship sailing under a Panamanian flag, following a medical evacuation call from the Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre, Port Blair, on January 25.
Deputy Commissioner of Police V. Ajith Kumar, who boarded the ship on Monday, told The Hindu that the motorman appeared to have slipped and fallen while using a utility hatch to access the critical mechanical area of the vessel rapidly.
The police would escort the vessel to the Kochi port and have it berthed for detailed forensic examination. The 21-member crew of the ship are all Chinese. The fatality occurred in international waters 30 nautical miles off Indian coast.
