Nine fishermen, who had been missing since last few days, were rescued by Coast Guard and fellow fishermen in two separate incidents in Tamil Nadu today.
Coast Guard rescued six city-based fishermen whose boat had drifted to Andhra Pradesh following engine failure after they put out to sea nine days ago.
Following a message from fisheries officials that a fishing boat was in distress at 33 nautical miles north of Krishnapatnam, Indian Coast Guard Ship (ICGS) Saarang was directed to provide assistance.
The boat was subsequently towed to Krishnapatnam and later handed over to the fisheries authorities, a coast guard release here said.
"The mechanised fishing boat with six fishermen had ventured out to the sea from Chennai on November 10, 2013. The boat was adrift since November 16 due to engine failure," it said adding, the coast guard was "maintaining continuous vigil on the Eastern seaboard."
A Rameswaram report said three fishermen of Kottaipattinam in Pudukottai District, missing since November 14, were found stranded in midsea by fellow fishermen from Mandapam after their boat developed a snag.
More than 700 fishermen in 220 mechanised boats put out to sea from Pudukottai district on November 13 and all of them returned except three. A search was conducted by Coast Guard but in vain.
The three were brought to Danushkodi near Rameswaram today, officials said.
