Popular home-made fishing boat again leads to tragedy in Abkhazia

Home-made fishing boats have again led to tragedy in Abkhazia when a local resident drowned while trying to save two fishermen.

Home-made fishing boats are very popular in Abkhazia given their cost effectiveness.

The incident took place on Lake Bebisyr in the eastern part of Abkhazia – two fishermen fell out of their boats while trying to catch fish at night.

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Local man Gennadi Kokoskir rushed to the aid of the fisherman. He, however, lost his life while trying to save them.

Professional rescuers found his body after several hours of searching.

“At the bottom of the lake there was a lot of silt, and the slightest disturbance caused the silt to rise up. We had to stop the search and wait until it settled. In addition, divers constantly got snagged on debris,” the Ministry of Emergency Situations said.

Rescuers say that fishermen frequently use home-made fishing boats, especially when fishing on lakes. These boats do not meet safety requirements and do not have life jackets. Therefore, accidents on the water are frequent. The ministry has urged the local population to pay more attention to safety standards.

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