This is a true story of an incident that happened in Fuvahmulah
Giant trevally (GT), or locally known as maamudu or Muda handhi, is a powerful predator of the sea. This creature is voracious and powerful. It doesn’t have anything to fear besides sharks and humans. This fish is a powerful swimmer and is capable of handling strong currents.
This is an incident that occurred in Fuvahmulah: A 58-year-old experienced and strong fisherman was dragged into the sea by a GT. It was a serene day. The sky was painted a bright blue, and the shiny leaves of the coconut palms behind him glistened in the sun. The fisherman went to Ambul beach, located in Hoadhadu ward of my island Fuvahmulah, to deploy his strong fishing handline to catch a GT.
The blue sky was sending hope of a great catch for an experienced fisherman who deployed his handline around 1:30 pm in the afternoon into the passageway made by excavating the front reef, made to navigate to the island. After deploying it, he sat comfortably on the sandy area of the beach. The sun was gradually dipping behind the horizon. We refer to this method of fishing as medun. As the name suggests, this method involves sitting on the beach after deploying strong fishing lines. Normally the minimum strength of these fishing lines is 200 lb with a thin rope attached to the rear part of the fishing line. After deploying the line, the fisherman will grasp the rope that connects to the strong monofilament.
After deploying the fishing line, he watched the horizon with an unwavering gaze, as bright rays of the sun lingered in the sky, mingling with the rolling clouds. At around 2:00 pm, he found himself looking at a lustrous, argent disc casting brilliant rays illuminating the beach and the mighty ocean.
He patiently waited, feeling not a single movement from a fish or predator on the fishing line. Normally, when high tide sets in, predators ascend and attack the bait. Fishing, especially this technique, is a daunting and courageous endeavor. So, he waited under the blistering sun with hope of a big catch.
At around 2:45 pm, a monstrous GT ascended from the deep ocean. At lightning pace, the creature smashed the bait ferociously, piercing the hook on its strong jaw. And simultaneously, the fisherman was dragged down the beach because a swift, tight knot formed around his right arm due to the entangling of the rope that he was holding.
The fisherman was unable to endure the conditions on the beach. He was dragged along the passage and then into the open sea. He tried to get away from the deadly predator by pulling it with both his hands. But as his one arm was entangled, he couldn’t take control of the predator. The predator rendered him helpless.
The creature went on making long runs, plunging the fisherman down towards the bottom. He went down several times. However, each time the predator pulled him down, he attempted to exert maximum force on his right arm to thwart its powerful runs. The predator’s movements got slower as it submerged the helpless man in water and pulled him hundreds of meters through it. Its swift movements slowed. But the helpless fisherman was also exhausted. He tried to subdue the predator by holding on to the rope to save his life.
Though his hopes had diminished, a crew of a fishing vessel (dhoani) saw the man on the surface of the open sea. When the boat reached him, the helpless fisherman was still on the surface. He was alive after the unexpected deadly encounter. They quickly headed towards the island. He survived miraculously.
