Seven fishermen from Andhra Pradesh’s B R Ambedkar Konaseema district, who had been missing at sea for more than three weeks, were traced alive and brought safely to the West Bengal coast on Wednesday, officials said.
“The rescued fishermen were later brought to safety near Shankarpur Fishing Harbour. They were shifted to a hospital for medical examinations as a precaution. For families who had spent days living with uncertainty, the call brought an overwhelming sense of relief. Yet, I was praying to god to see that he is back home safe. My prayers paid off. “We drifted helplessly for days as strong winds pushed the vessel hundreds of kilometres towards the West Bengal coast. “We endured scorching heat, rain and hunger while drifting at sea, uncertain about when or whether help would reach them.
“I virtually lost hope, as I have not heard from my husband since August 6. I got a call from my husband at around 3.45 pm on Wednesday. We had no mobile phone signal and therefore could not tell our whereabouts to our families,” Varma said.
By the grace of God, all are safe,” Ramakrishna Varma’s wife Lakshmi from Odalarevu village said. Their health condition is stable and after they fully recover from their shock, they will be brought back to their native places by tonight or Friday,” state agriculture minister K Atchannaidu told reporters on Thursday. Finally on Wednesday morning, a fishing boat from Kolkata spotted our stranded vessel and came to our rescue,” Varma said.
The fishermen used a satellite phone belonging to the Kolkata boat owner at Shankarpur and informed the state government authorities. The Kolkata boat owner also provided the rescued fishermen with food, offering them much-needed nourishment after their prolonged rationing. He reportedly assured them that all necessary arrangements would be made at Shankarpur jetty.
An official statement from the state government said Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu personally monitored the situation after the boat failed to return as expected and directed officials to treat the matter as a priority. Ramakrishna Varma said Prime Minister Narendra Modi, too, spoke to the fishermen on Wednesday evening and enquired about their safety and health.
