A video grab of the joint search operation by Navy and Indian Coast Guard was underway to locate the six fishermen who went missing at sea off the Visakhapatnam coast on July 1.
| Photo Credit: ANI
The multi-agency search and rescue operation launched to trace the six fishermen who went missing after their mechanised boat capsized off Visakhapatnam coast on Saturday (July 4, 2026) was officially called off on Wednesday (July 8, 2026).After the standard 72-hour search window ended, a three-member administrative committee submitted its definitive report to the Andhra Pradesh government, recommending that the missing individuals be presumed dead.State Fisheries Minister Kollu Ravindra confirmed the development, stating that despite an intensive four-day operation by the Indian Coast Guard (ICG) and the Eastern Naval Command (ENC)—utilising advanced ships like the ICGS Kanaklata Barua and ICGS Veera, along with naval helicopters—no trace of either the missing crew or the vessel’s wreckage (IND-AP-V5-MM-83) could be found.The inquiry committee, comprising the Revenue Divisional Officer (RDO), Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP), and the Assistant Director of the Fisheries Department, compiled the official report based on maritime logs and the testimony of the lone survivor, Kari Chinna.According to officials, a group of seven fishermen set sail from Visakhapatnam Fishing Harbour on July 1. While returning on July 4, the vessel developed a mechanical failure and capsized at around 3.30 p.m. amid turbulent sea conditions triggered by a low-pressure system over the Bay of Bengal.Mr. Chinna, who survived by swimming for nearly 18 hours before being rescued by a merchant vessel, provided the precise timeline that helped the panel reconstruct the sequence of events. Published - July 08, 2026 09:36 pm IST
