Sri Vijaya Puram, July 14: Demonstrating their unwavering commitment to safeguarding lives at sea, Indian Navy and Indian Coast Guard assets deployed under the Andaman Nicobar Command successfully rescued two fishermen from a distressed Andaman Nicobar-registered fishing boat after they remained stranded and adrift in rough seas for nearly three days following an engine failure.
The rescued fishermen have been identified as Shri Amarendra Halder (34) and Shri Parimal Rai (40). On July 13, the Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre (MRCC), Indian Coast Guard Regional Headquarters (A&N), Sri Vijaya Puram, received a Distress Alert from Indian Fishing Boat DEEP (IND-AN-SA-MO-178) from a position approximately 50 nautical miles south-east of Sri Vijaya Puram.
The fishing boat had sailed from Deepika Nandapur Fish Landing Centre, Hut Bay, at 1000 hours on July 10 with two crew members onboard for fishing. Shortly after proceeding to sea, the vessel suffered a complete engine failure, leaving it helplessly adrift amidst severe weather conditions. For nearly three days, the fishermen battled rough seas, heavy swells and strong winds, with no means of propulsion or communication except the onboard Distress Alert Transmitter (DAT), which ultimately became their lifeline.
Immediately upon receipt of the distress signal, a joint Search and Rescue (SAR) operation was launched under the Andaman Nicobar Command. Indian Navy Air assets and Indian Coast Guard Ship Rajveer were deployed for the mission. Despite adverse weather conditions, the distressed fishing boat was located at approximately 1400 hours on July 13.
The Coast Guard crew recovered both fishermen and brought them safely onboard, where they were administered first aid and medical assessment. The rescued fishermen were found to be in stable condition and were subsequently handed over to the concerned authorities at Sri Vijaya Puram for further formalities.