Who would have thought that an ordinary fishing trip at sea could turn into a heartbreaking disaster.
A fishing boat named Devon set sail from the small town of Tangalle in southern Sri Lanka, and no one realized that it was just an ordinary voyage that killed them!
Fishermen drift on the vast sea, and the days are long and boring. They mechanically cast and close their nets every day, day after day, year after year, hoping for a full harvest. But fate gave them a cruel joke.
On 29 June, the majestic "Devon" sailed in the vast ocean 592 kilometers off the coast of Tangalle. The waves pushed a seemingly ordinary drifting bottle onto their boat, and no one expected that this small bottle turned out to be the messenger of death.
Perhaps it was the loneliness of being at sea for a long time, or perhaps the yearning for the unknown, they decided to open these bottles and find out.
There was a bottle of unidentified liquid in the bottle. Perhaps it was the sun's scorching thirst that made them thirsty, or perhaps it was the longing for "unexpected joy", these fishermen actually made a fatal decision - to drink the liquid in the bottle.
They also generously shared their mystery drinks with the crew of other fishing boats in the vicinity. But death came quietly when they were unprepared.
The tragedy happened not long after, and the fishermen who had drunk the liquid had adverse reactions one after another, some were dizzy, some vomited, and some were directly unconscious, and the atmosphere on the boat turned from joy to panic in an instant.
"Contact the Coast Guard!" The captain picked up the radio with trembling hands
Unfortunately they were too far from land, and when rescue finally arrived, four fishermen were killed and two were in critical condition.
The Sri Lankan Navy and the Fisheries Department acted decisively and quickly rescued at critical moments. A number of rescue ships were dispatched to tow back the "Devon" with all their might. Nearby merchant vessels were urgently contacted to provide critical medical assistance to the critically ill fishermen. Rescue operations were slow due to poor conditions at sea. The two surviving fishermen were transferred to a Singapore merchant ship for emergency treatment, but their condition remains worrying. Sri Lankan authorities have launched an investigation into the contents of the bottle.
This has also raised concerns about marine pollution. Every year, a large amount of garbage is thrown into the ocean, including toxic and harmful substances. These "time bombs" floating in the sea not only cause harm to the marine ecology, but also expose marine operators to huge risks.
This incident is really sad, even seemingly harmless things at sea can hide deadly dangers, and we must always be vigilant against the unknown, which also sounds a wake-up call for us!
This lesson has come too badly. Four vivid lives were lost in this way, leaving behind endless sorrow and regret. How will their families cope with this sudden blow? How will their children understand the fact that Daddy will never come back?
But life has to go on, and Tangalle's fishermen have to go out to sea to catch fish because it's their only livelihood.
The death of the fishermen is sad, and I wish them rest in peace. I hope that the ocean will be more tolerant of human beings and that such tragedies will not happen again.
On Sri Lanka's long coastline, the waves still crash on the beach day after day, and fishermen go out to fish as usual. It's just that people have more awe of the ocean in their hearts, and cherish life, life seems to be the same, but everything has quietly changed.