Four fishermen still missing at sea, search operation continues

The ICG have deployed a fast patrol vessel, two hovercrafts and an interceptor boat along the Palk Bay to trace the missing fishermen, Commandant M. Venkatesan, Station Commander of ICG Station, Mandapam said today.

The search operation that began on Friday evening will continue till the fishermen were traced and rescued by the ICG.

We have also alerted the Sri Lankan Navy about the missing fishermen and sought their assistance to trace them, he said.

A Chetak helicopter from ‘INS Parundu,’ the Indian Naval Air Station at Uchipuli in Ramanathapuram district also involved in aerial search to find out them.

Deputy director of fisheries E. Kathavarayan said two rescue teams, comprising fishermen ventured into the sea in two Mechanized fishing trawlers from Rameswaram Fishing Jetty this morning in hope of finding the missing fishermen, despite poor visibility due to heavy winds and surf beats in the sea.

The missing fishermen had gone for fishing despite an advisory issued by the Fisheries department to keep away from sea in view of rough weather conditions.

The search carried out by country boat fishermen of Pamban also went in vain as they could not trace the missing fishermen despite sailing for about 40 nautical miles in the sea on Saturday, he said.

The fishermen, identified as Anthony (40), Chindas (43) both hailing from Thangatchimadam coastal village and Minon (41) and Stephen (42), owner of the boat hailing from Pamban coastal hamlet in Rameswaram had set out for fishing in a fibreglass boat.

They should have returned to the coast on Friday morning as per schedule, but failed to turn up raising concerns among their family members about their safety.