Mangaluru: Around 10 fishermen who were stranded off the coast of Malpe were rescued due to the brave efforts of the Coast guard on Monday in Udupi.
The fishermen who were from Kannur district in Kerala were stranded at about 100km west of Malpe and were rescued from IFB Sea shell in yet another SAR operation.
According to sources, a boat consisting of 10 fishermen sent a distress call on 20th January, Saturday due to flooding in various machinery compartment and multiple machinery failures. The call was received by the Coast Guard ROS (Remote Operating Centre) Mangaluru and immediately ICG Samar in the area was diverted in order to render assistance to the boat.
The boat was located by the ICG Samar on Sunday morning at around 90km west of Malpe. They carried out some repairs for stopping the entry of water into the boat and then towed the boat after providing necessary assistance to the crew members.
The ICG Samar arrived at Malpe on 22nd January, Monday and handed over the boat and the crew members safely to DD fisheries off old Mangaluru port.
However, the Coast Guard commander S S Dasila brought out the issue of negligence on the part of the owners of fishing boats for not maintaining it properly and risking the safety of the crew. He further said that the units of ICG are ever ready to safeguard the national maritime interest.