I saw an inspiring yet baffling news story on BBCNewTamil about a fisherman named Sivamurugan who fell from his relative motorboat into the sea.
About Sivamurugan
He is a 35 year old man, from Chettikulam village, near Kudankulam town in Tirunelveli district,
Incident
On September 20th, he went on a motorboat with his relatives from Kanyakumari’s Chinnamuttom Fishing Harbour. Around 7:30–7:35 PM IST, he accidentally fell from the boat. By the time he surfaced, the boat had already traveled some distance. One of his younger cousins on the boat noticed Sivamurugan was missing and reported it to their father. They turned back to search for him but couldn’t find him. Using wireless communication, they requested help from nearby boats. Many boats from Chettikulam joined the search, but it was dark, making it extremely difficult to locate Sivamurugan.
Sivamurugan, meanwhile, kept his head just above water and could see only a short distance ahead. He tried swimming in one direction, hoping someone would spot him, but the waves kept pushing him back.
The people searching for him remained hopeful, but their efforts were in vain. Eventually, they had to suspend the search since others on the boat were hungry, and continuing could put everyone at risk.
Perseverance
Sivamurugan stayed afloat, conserving his energy. With darkness all around, he prepared himself to wait until dawn. He focused on survival, not letting his strength drain away. Finally, at dawn, his hopes rekindled. He expected his relatives would resume the search in daylight.
After dawn, he looked around but couldn’t spot the shore. His visibility was poor; his eyes were red and sore from water splashing through the night.
BBC reporters tried to coordinate with Colachel Marine Police to find him, but the police team could not locate Sivamurugan’s whereabouts.
On the morning of September 21st, around 5:30 AM, Sivamurugan’s relatives and a few others resumed searching in motorboats, but they couldn’t find him. Sivamurugan had drifted too far, and they didn’t know how much further he had gone, so they returned. At the start of the day, Sivamurugan’s wife firmly believed someone would find him and he would be safe. As the day progressed, her concern and worry grew.
The Final hours of miracle
By this time, 24 hours had passed since Sivamurugan fell into the sea. He was exhausted, both physically and mentally, and hope began to fade. As darkness approached, unsure if he could survive another night, he even stopped swimming and allowed himself to drift. He swallowed some water accidentally, but then, something incredible happened.
At the 26th hour, a last ray of hope appeared—a radiant glowing light under the water. It was an unbelievable moment. Renewed with hope and belief, he realized it was a light from a country boat approaching him.
Rescue and recovery
The boat belonged to Arulappan from Kuthenkully village (also called Kuthenkuzhi, Portuguese: Cutãoguli Patanão). Arulappan and his team were returning to collect their fishing net. Sivamurugan, with poor visibility, could recognize the boat only as it came closer. He called out and waved his hands repeatedly. Arulappan and his team saw him and rescued him. In that miraculous moment, Sivamurugan saw Arulappan as a god!
He was brought back to shore and underwent hospital treatment. During the night in the sea, he had been bitten by small crabs and jelly-like worms that stuck to his skin. He has now fully recovered and is doing well.
This is truly an inspiring and amazing story!
