Seven fishermen, including four from Ongole in Andhra Pradesh, who were stranded mid-sea, were rescued by marine police here on Sunday.
The fishermen had left Kasimedu on December 11 headed for Nagapattinam and Cuddalore. They were returning with their catch when the engine of the boat conked out on Saturday, leaving them stranded in the sea about 12 km off the Puducherry coastline. The fishermen established contact with the toll-free line setting off on a rescue mission. On Sunday morning, a police team resumed the rescue operation and by 11.15 a.m. towed the stranded boat to the shore with all the fishermen safe and sound. The names of the fishermen were given as Ayyappan, Siva and Sankar from Kasimedu and Christen, Sreenu, Nandu and Varapathi from Ongole.