Search stepped up for fisherman missing after Kerala boat capsize

The Coastal Police on Friday intensified the search for a fisherman who has been missing since a fishing boat capsized off Kerala's Kollam coast on July 31, deploying additional boats and personnel to widen the operation.

The missing fisherman, Gautam Krishna, 26, from Puthenthura, was among a 14-member crew whose boat overturned in rough seas near the estuary while returning from a fishing trip.

Officials at the Neendakara Coastal Police Station said the search was expanded after Gautam's mother met senior Fisheries Department officials and police on Thursday. She said authorities had assured the family that additional search methods, not used earlier, would now be employed.

Officials said Union Minister Suresh Gopi and the state's Fisheries Minister intervened following the meeting, prompting the Coastal Police and Fisheries Department to deploy more resources for the search.

Gautam's father, Radhakrishnan, 48, and grandfather, Rajeevan, 74, who were also aboard the vessel, died in the accident.

In a separate incident, the Vizhinjam Coastal Police continued searching for John, 54, of Pulluvila, who went missing after another fishing boat mishap off the Thiruvananthapuram coast on July 31.

John's family recently protested outside the Vizhinjam Coastal Police Station, alleging that the search operation was inadequate and urging authorities to involve experienced local fishermen in rescue efforts following such accidents.