News
Fishing trip ends in tragedy as man falls prey to crocodile
View(s):Pix and text by Amila Gamage
A fear of crocodiles has hit a remote village on the banks of the Nilwala river passing through the Matara District, after body parts of a missing person, believed to have been dragged away by a crocodile, were found.
Police have handed over what remained of the victim, Palanisami Arumugam (37), to Matara Hospital for further investigations.
Arumugam was a labourer at the Belmont tea factory on Hulandawa estate. His 80-year- old mother M Pushpawalli said her son has been fishing in the Nilwala river, about three kilometres from their house, from the time he was a teenager. In later years he used to sell some of the catch to neighbours to earn extra money to feed his family of two daughters aged 12 and 10.
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- The victim, Palanisami Arumugam
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- A grieving mother
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- M L Pemaris
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- Navy and villagers searching for the body
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- Arumugam’s brother holds up his brother’s fishing net
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- Villagers flocked to the site
“Last week he told me there is a huge crocodile in the river and it can eat him in one bite. He was a hard worker and friendly with everyone in the area. He was building a new house as his present one flooded during the rainy season.”
The road leading to the river from his home is a foot path crossing a small tea plantation in the village of Pathavita. On most occasions someone used to accompany him when he went fishing. He was last seen on Wednesday around 3.30 pm say villagers.
Recounting what he witnessed M L Pemaris (64), told the Sunday Times that he had seen a huge crocodile dragging a human body clad in a blue tshirt and black shorts. He said villagers tried to rescue the body but failed. He said no one goes down to the river there except in areas designated as safe for bathing.
He said this was the first time such an incident has happened in this area, adding that about six years back, about six kilometres down the river a similar incident had been reported.
Arumugam’s younger brother P Pushpakumara sometimes used to accompany his brother when he went fishing.
“We found his knife, slippers and fishing net at the site he usually went fishing. Sometimes if he couldn’t catch the fish from the riverbank he used to get into the river. It’s about 8 feet high from the riverbank to the water and there is a footprint which shows he must have got down into the river. The surrounding bushes also show signs of a struggle,” he said.
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