PARADIP: At least 15 fishermen stranded in their vessel in the sea due to rough weather were rescued by two tugboats of Paradip Port Authority (PPA) on Thursday.
A fishing trawler Dharmsakhi 2 was returning to the fishing harbour after catching fish when it developed a technical snag as a result of which eight fishermen in the vessel were stranded in the rough sea.
Another boat, Dharmsakhi 3, rushed to the spot to assist the vessel. But while towing Dharmsakhi 2 to the shore, the rope became entangled with the motor’s fan blade and broke, leaving both the boats and 15 fishermen stranded in the sea. Amid concerns that the vessels may capsize, PPA dispatched its two tugboats to bring the vessels to safety.
In a press release, PPA sources stated the two fishing boats were safely towed to Paradip harbour by tugboats, Tarini, Jagannath and a patrol boat Saanvi following a request from the local police and Fisheries department. The propellers of both the vessels were repaired after which they safely docked at the harbour.
President of Odisha Marine Fish Producers’ Association Srikant Parida lauded the efforts of various departments including the marine police, Forest department and PPA, stating, “The timely intervention and alertness of the officials saved the fishermen. Our association extends sincere thanks to all involved in the effort.”
Meanwhile, for the last two days, Paradip has been hosting a joint coastal security exercise, ‘Sagar Kavach 2’, conducted by the Indian Navy, Indian Coast Guard, and other key stakeholders to evaluate the coastal security mechanism and validate standard operating procedures (SOPs).