Navy rescues fishermen aboard distressed dinghy that drifted to Indian waters

The Navy together with the Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre (MRCC Colombo) stationed at Navy Headquarters rescued a group of fishermen aboard a dinghy that was swept away to the Indian waters due to an engine failure, on Saturday.

In response to a request for assistance by the Department of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources, Sri Lanka Navy launched an operation to locate this dinghy (Register No. OFRP –A-950 MNR) that had gone missing on Feb 23.  

The Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre (MRCC) Chennai was informed of the missing vessel by MRCC Colombo. As the search and rescue operation was going on, MRCC Chennai informed MRCC Colombo that an Indian Coast Guard ship had spotted the ill-fated vessel. Accordingly, an Indian Coast Guard Ship assisted the dinghy with fishermen to reach the IMBL, from which it was safely towed shoreward by Sri Lanka Naval Ship (SLNS) ‘Suranimila’ yesterday.

The search and rescue operation was carried out in conformity with health and safety guidelines in place due to COVID-19 pandemic.

Meanwhile, MRCC Colombo, thus far in the year 2021, has responded to distress calls of five merchant ships and 21 fishing vessels in the Search and Rescue Region of Sri Lanka.

MRCC Colombo has assisted the rescue of 25 fishermen whose lives were in danger at sea.