Tamil Nadu: 4 fishermen rescued as boat capsizes mid-sea

TIRUCHY: Four fishermen from Vedaranyam, who were struggling for life for more than five hours after their country boat capsized mid-sea, were rescued by fellow fishers from Nagapattinam on Tuesday. The boat was also towed back to the shore later.

As the fishing season has commenced after the monsoon, the fishermen in and around Nagapattinam have been staying in Kodiyakarai and occasionally venture out for fishing.

Against such a backdrop, on Monday, a group of four fishermen who were later identified as Prasanna, Muthuvel, Anbarasi and Raghu ventured into the sea from Kodiyakarai in a country boat owned by Raghu from Nambiar Nagar in Nagapattinam.

While they were fishing off Kodiyakarai in the wee hours of Tuesday, there was a heavy wind flow, but still, they had spread their nets for fishing. At around 2 am, the wind speed intensified, and their net got stuck onto the propeller of the outboard engine. In no time, the boat toppled, and the fishermen who clung on to the boat were seen struggling and raising alarm for help.

As luck would have it, after dawn, a mechanised boat from Nagapattinam approached them and rescued them.

Meanwhile, the relatives of the four fishermen, who were anxious as they had not returned to the shore on the usual time, went in search of the four fishermen in four country boats. However, they found them safe and pulled the capsized boat to the shore.

The fishermen lost their gear, including fishing nets, GPS and mobile phones and other valuables. On reaching the shore, they were given first aid at Vedaranyam GH. Further inquiry is on.