RAMANATHAPURAM
Five Rameswaram fishermen rescued a Sri Lankan Tamil fisherman, who was desperately looking for help on the high seas after his fishing boat capsized, on Saturday morning.
The Rameswaram fishermen, who had set out for fishing on Saturday morning, were fishing near Katchatheevu in a mechanised boat when they found the Sri Lankan fisherman floating on the sea, holding on to a plastic can and signalling for help.
The fishermen rushed to the spot, rescued the fisherman and brought him to the shore on Sunday after serving him food and refreshments. The rescued Sri Lankan fisherman was identified as Mariadoss (37) from Ezhamvattaram in Mannar region.
He told the officials here that he, along with another fisherman, Anran (20), had set out for fishing in a fibre boat from Mannar and they were fishing on the high seas when the sea became rough and their boat capsized.
Both tried to escape by holding on to plastic cans, but Anran drowned after a couple of hours, he said. Mr. Mariadoss clung to the plastic can and got drifted into Indian waters, when the Rameswaram fishermen rescued him, he told the officials.
Fisheries department officials contacted their counterparts in Mannar and confirmed that the two fishermen ventured into the sea for fishing on Saturday and went missing. Q Branch police also verified the veracity of the claim of Mariadoss.
When contacted, Collector S. Natarajan said he ordered that the Sri Lankan fisherman be kept at Mandapam refugee camp till the government took a decision on sending him back. As he had no ulterior motive, he was likely to be sent back soon, official sources said.
