Attikatta Jagannath and Shivanna, close associates of V.G. Siddhartha for years, were outside the mortuary of Wenlock Hospital here, holding the hands of Rithesh D’Souza, 40, and Pranesh, 35, as they struggled with their emotions. The two were among the local fishermen who traced the body of the entrepreneur in the Netravati on Wednesday morning.
“We are really indebted to your service,” said Mr. Shivanna, while Mr. Pranesh tried to play down their role in retrieving the body in the turbulent river. “We know these waters well. We have only done our duty,” said Mr. Pranesh, sounding embarrassed by all the attention.
Mr. D’Souza and Mr. Pranesh were among the fishermen who were involved in the search operation along with teams of the National Disaster Response Force, the Fire and Emergency Services Department, and the Coast Guard since Tuesday.
Yatish Baikampady, leader of the local fishermen and chief executive officer of Panambur Beach Development Project, said that fishermen, based on the current factor in the river and at its mouth (where the river joins the sea) on Tuesday, had guessed — going by the location where Siddhartha was last seen — that the body would be pushed to the banks on the Hoige Bazaar area.
After searching till 9 p.m. on Tuesday, Mr. D’Souza again sailed out in a boat around 6 a.m. on Wednesday along with Mr. Pranesh and a fellow fisherman, Sarathi. “Around 6.30 a.m., we noticed a body floating close to the river mouth. We brought it to the shore at Hoige Bazaar and called the police,” Mr. D’Souza recalled.
The two fishermen said they have participated in many search and rescue operations. “We have rescued many who were drowning. We have traced bodies too,” Mr. Pranesh said.
Mr. Baikampady said all fishermen in the city had been asked to be on the lookout. “Seeing the tidal condition, we had positioned people to keep close watch on the riverside and at the beach front. Thankfully, we found the body,” he said.
He said the body tends to come up within 24 hours if the climate is warm and it takes longer if the weather is cool. Whether the water pushes the body to the shore or draws along with it deep inside the sea depends on the tidal condition, he added.
Finding a body is hard when the water is muddy such as in the river mouths even for experienced fishermen, pointed out Mr. Baikampady.
