‘I will not go out to sea anymore… who will buy bloodstained boat?’

Freddy and his 10-member team had left Neendakara fishing harbour on February 7. With enough rations and fuel,they planned to remain at sea for about three weeks.

But their plans were cut short on February 15,when they lost two crew members,Jelestine,50,and Pinku,22,to the hail of bullets from the Italian ship. Pinku had joined the boat just three months back as his grandfather was also working there.

“Except Jelestine and me,all the others were asleep in the afternoon. Since that day’s catch was disappointing,we were moving south at a speed of 10 km per hour,’’ recalls Freddy.

After steering the boat for several hours,Freddy too went for a short nap. “Jelestine took control of the boat. The last thing I asked Jelestine was whether any boat was coming in our lane,’’ he says.

“Half-an-hour later,the sound of firing woke me up. I saw Jelestine’s hands slowly leaving the steering wheel. Blood was flowing from his nose and ears,” says Freddy.

“I saw a ship 250 to 300 metres from the boat,” he says,adding that he immediately alerted the rest of his team that the “ship men are firing… lie down”. If not for the warning,the casualty may have been higher.

Freddy took control of the boat,and steered it away in the opposite direction. “There was a shower of bullets. I heard a scream from the rear of the boat. I drove away at maximum speed,only stopping two nautical miles away. We then went to the back of the boat,where we saw Pinku,with blood gushing out from his chest,” says Freddy.

Freddy says he then informed another boat at the Neentakara harbour,and the coastal police station was alerted.