Sri Lanka Navy rescues four Indian fishermen

The Sri Lankan Navy rescued four Indian fishermen who were in severe difficulties in the northern Sri Lankan territorial waters around 5.00 am yesterday (19).

The Indian fishing boat had met with an accident about 4NM south of Delft off Jaffna islands and capsized around 1.00 am. The four fishermen who had jumped overboard were desperately battling in the sea for nearly four hours trying to save themselves by clinging on to boxes of ice which had been in the boat when the Sri Lankan Navy saved them.

The Navy on constant vigil in the area engaged in patrolling duties to prevent the LTTE terrorists from smuggling arms, explosives and military hardware to the North had observed the fishermen in distress and rescued them by taking them on board.

It is not unusual for Indian fishermen to move into Sri Lanka territorial waters in search of fish and been in distress. Although these fishermen are illegally engaged in fishing outside their territorial waters, the Navy has always moved in to help them on humanitarian considerations whenever there was a need to do so.

There is however a great danger involved in Indian fishermen fishing in our territorial waters as it is also not unusual for the LTTE terrorist boats to take the opportunity to mingle with Indian fishing boats as a cover to conduct the smuggling of contraband across the Palk Strait to the North which is a threat to security.

The Sri Lankan and Indian Coast Guard and Navy patrol the northern waters to prevent arms smuggling.

This is not the first instance that the Sri Lanka Navy as well as the Indian Navy rescued the lives of fishermen in distress found in the Northern seas whilst on duty.