A patrol vessel belonging to the State Government’s Coastal Security Group sank off the coast of Manappad in Tuticorin district in the early hours of Wednesday.
Coastal Security Group sources said the engine of the patrol vessel, which was on its way from Kanyakumari to Rameswaram with three personnel, developed a snag while sailing 10 nautical miles off the coast of Manappad, a coastal hamlet near Tiruchendur.
After the personnel in the 5-year-old boat in distress sent an SOS to their counterparts, a Coast Guard ship was rushed to the spot. While the personnel were rescued, the boat sank due to gale on high seas around 2.30 a.m.
CSG’s Koodankulam unit has registered a case in this connection.