Ten fishermen from Chintapalli village in Andhra Pradesh's Vizianagaram district were rescued after their mechanised fishing boat developed an engine failure and drifted off the Odisha coast near Puri, officials said.
The fishermen had set out from Kakinada Fishing Harbour four days ago for a fishing expedition. Their boat suffered a mechanical breakdown and drifted around 2-3 kilometres off the Puri shoreline, prompting the crew to send out a distress alert.
Acting swiftly, the Puri Marine Police coordinated a rescue operation. A nearby fishing boat reached the stranded vessel, safely evacuated all ten fishermen and brought them ashore.
The disabled fishing boat is expected to be towed to a safe location. Officials confirmed that all ten fishermen are safe, bringing relief to their families back home in Chintapalli village.
Earlier, the fishermen had sent video messages to their families seeking urgent help after getting stranded at sea, triggering concern among relatives. The timely rescue operation brought the tense episode to a safe end.
