Six fishermen, who ventured into the sea for fishing in a mechanised boat on October 20 and got stranded in mid sea from October 24, were rescued by a group of seven fishermen, assisted by Indian Coast Guard, said Fr. Churchill, general secretary, South Asian Fishermen Fraternity (SAFF), here on Wednesday.
He said the engine of the boat failed when they were fishing at a point 60 nautical miles off Vizhinjam port in Kerala. Caught in the wind, the boat drifted in different directions. The fishermen on board the boat, however, managed to contact their relatives in Chinnathurai.
On getting information, the SAFF sought the help of Indian Coast Guard based in Kerala.
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The ICG located the stranded fishermen with the help of a Dornier aircraft on Monday. The relatives of the fishermen, Fisheries Department officials and Coastal Security Group personnel were alerted. Seven fishermen went into the sea in a mechanised boat, and towed the stranded boat along with the fishermen to a private fishing harbour in Muttom on Tuesday evening. An ICG ship escorted the boats up to Muttom.
Earlier, the ICG officials at Cochin offered food to the rescued fishermen and fuel to their boat, Fr. Churchill said.