Fishing boat capsizes off Beypore coast; 2 rescued, search on for 4

Kozhikode: Two fishermen were rescued and a search is on for four others after a fishing boat capsized on being hit by a ship about 46 nautical miles off the Beypore coast, police said Thursday.

Six fishermen had set out for the sea on the fishing boat Emmanuel from Munambam near Kochi yesterday. Their boat started sinking around 8.00 pm, Beypore coastal police said. Two of them, Xavier (58) and Karthik (19), were rescued by fellow fishermen in the vicinity. The duo along with another injured fisherman Lopus were taken to a hospital in Coastguard vessel. A search is on for the missing fishermen, they said.

A release by the PRO of Indian Naval Base at Kochi said a Coastguard Dornier aircraft on a routine sortie from Kochi this morning received a radio message from a fishing boat St Mary about damage to another boat Emmanuel. The boat with about six crew members was sinking. Two of them were rescued by another boat Govind in the vicinity, the release said. The aircraft established contact with Govind and located the sinking boat, about 46 nautical miles from Beypore. Extensive search was conducted around 40 nautical miles around the boat by the aircraft. A coastguard vessel CG404 deployed for the search and rescue operation could not locate them, and returned to Beypore with the two rescued crew and another person of Govind boat.

Another CG vessel has been deployed to continue the search operation, the release said, adding the search would continue tomorrow with the help of another aircraft and ship deployed in Kochi.