Diving expert falls unconscious after inhaling toxic gas from fishing vessel storage

Diving expert Eshwar Malpe who reportedly fell unconscious after inhaling toxic gases while rescuing a trapped fisherman from a fishing vessel storage tank on Saturday evening, recovered on Sunday, September 3, in Udupi.

Diving expert Eshwar Malpe who reportedly fell unconscious after inhaling toxic gases while rescuing a trapped fisherman from a fishing vessel storage tank on Saturday evening, recovered on Sunday, September 3, in Udupi. The fisherman who was rescued by Eshwar Malpe however is said to be still in a critical condition. Mr. Malpe was discharged from the hospital on Sunday.

Known for his diving skills, Mr. Malpe has rescued many people in distress and retrieved dead bodies from waterbodies under challenging conditions. He received an SOS on Saturday evening about a fisherman trapped inside the storage of a fishing vessel at Malpe fishing harbour.

Though he fell unconscious during the rescue operation, he regained consciousness and lifted the trapped fisherman out. Both were shifted to a hospital in Manipal.

Such incidents were reported earlier too, said local fishermen, who noted Mr. Malpe had rescued four fishermen in the preceding two days in a similar situation. They sought boat owners to follow safety measures to prevent fishermen working in their boats from getting exposed to such risks.

The police said Mr. Malpe could have inhaled methane as fish waste had remained in the storage. The rotten fish in the storage space is later sold to fish meal factories.