Coast Guard, Navy rescue 9 fishermen off Rameswaram

Nine fishermen were rescued by Indian Coast Guard and Navy in a joint operation off the coast of Rameswaram in Tamil Nadu on Sunday, said an official statement.

According to the statement, the Coast Guard on receipt of information about a capsized boat near Manali Island off Rameswaram coast reached to Indian Navy for rescue of the fishermen.

The Indian Navy dispatched a helicopter from Indian Naval Station Parundu in Ramanathapuram district for search and rescue of the fishermen.

The helicopter sighted the fishing trawler on a coral reef about eight miles from the coast. The boat was found sinking fast due to possible damage to hull and bad sea conditions.

Four of the nine fishermen were rescued by navy helicopter through winching and taken to Mandapam, and handed over to the Coast Guard.

The remaining five fishermen were rescued by a fishing boat which reached the area subsequently..