Navy Rescues 5 Fishermen From Sinking Fishing Vessel Off Kerala Coast

KOCHI: Five fishermen were rescued by an Indian Naval ship from a sinking fishing vessel off the north Kerala coast on Monday, a defence spokesman said today.

Kochi based INS Sharda rescued the five fishermen who were found floating in the sea after their fishing vessel FV Omkaram sank, some 35 km North West of Azhikal port, he said in a release.

A lookout on the naval vessel, which was on patrol in the area this morning, spotted the fishermen in the waters at around 9.30 am following which the ship altered course, lowered the life boats and rescued them.

Two of the fishermen had sustained minor injuries and were administered first aid by the medical team, after which the ship headed for Kochi, the release said.

The fishermen said they had cast off from Cheruvathur in Kasargod at 4.00 AM on Monday. Sometime later water started entering their 13 foot boat, which they were unable to control and the heavy flooding caused the boat to sink.

The fishermen remained afloat without any life saving devices from 6.30 AM till they were rescued. They were out of mobile range and were unable to swim or to seek help from other boats, the release said.

All the survivors, including the boat owner, hail from Kanjanghad in Kasargod.

Efforts were on to inform their next of kin, as well as the local coastal police station at Trikkaripur, it said.

INS Sharda is an offshore patrol vessel of the Indian Navy and presently is in its 26th year of commission.

It was actively deployed for coastal surveillance and patrolling off the Kerala and Lakshadweep islands and has also undertaken regular anti-piracy deployments in the Gulf of Aden.

The ship was earlier involved in the rescue of 21 fishermen during Cyclone Ockhi and was also used to distribute relief material during Op Madad, launched by the Southern Naval Command at the time of the Kerala floods, the release said.