Stranded fishermen rescued

KOLKATA: A Coast Guard ship succeeded in reaching a stranded fishing trawler from Kakdwip and rescued its 10-member crew on Wednesday. On Tuesday, the department of fisheries had alerted the Coast Guard Region Northeast of eight missing trawlers.
"We received information that four trawlers had returned to Kakdwip. On Wednesday, our Dornier located the stranded trawler FB Tara Maa and guided ICGS Raziya Sultana to the spot.This was nearly 50 nautical miles off Sagar light. The trawler was stranded due to engine trouble. The rescue was carried out in extremely bad weather, when the sea state was 4. All 10 crew members were given provisions and the trawler was hitched to the ship to get it towed towards Sagar Island," said deputy commandant Avinandan Mitra, PRO, Coast Guard Region Northeast.
Even as the trawler was being towed towards Sagar, information was received that the three other fishing vessels are safe.
The rescue operation was monitored by Rajendra Singh, director general, Coast Guard, who is on an official visit to Kolkata and Haldia. Singh co-ordinated the entire operation from the Haldia district headquarters. "Dorniers are still flying sorties and ships are scouting the area in search of missing trawlers that may not have been reported," Mitra said. tnn