7 Andhra fishermen missing at sea for 3 weeks found alive off Bengal coast

Seven Andhra Pradesh fishermen missing at sea for over three weeks were rescued alive off West Bengal after their boat suffered multiple mechanical failures.

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 fishermen, identified as boat owner Ramakrishna Varma, Kollati Srinubabu, Yesudas, Palepu Shantar Rao, Karri Ramudu, Katadi Satish Kumar and Sangadi Tatarao, were located in the troubled waters of the Bay of Bengal by a fishing boat from Kolkata at around 11.45 am on Wednesday.

“The rescued fishermen were later brought to safety near Shankarpur Fishing Harbour. They were shifted to a hospital for medical examinations as a precaution. 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.

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For families who had spent days living with uncertainty, the call brought an overwhelming sense of relief. “I virtually lost hope, as I have not heard from my husband since August 6. Yet, I was praying to god to see that he is back home safe. My prayers paid off. I got a call from my husband at around 3.45 pm on Wednesday. By the grace of God, all are safe,” Ramakrishna Varma’s wife Lakshmi from Odalarevu village said.

The fishermen, who had set out from the Odalarevu Fish Landing Centre on August 3, were stranded at sea after a series of mechanical failures crippled their boat. “Trouble began soon after we ventured into the sea. On August 4, the boat developed a clutch-plate problem. Although we managed to repair it, we soon discovered that the engine gearbox had also failed,” Ramakrishna Varma told the authorities.

The fishermen somehow repaired the gearbox the following day and began their return journey. After travelling about 50 nautical miles, the engine failed completely. With no fishing boat in sight and no immediate possibility of outside assistance, the seven men were left stranded in the open sea.

“We drifted helplessly for days as strong winds pushed the vessel hundreds of kilometres towards the West Bengal coast. We had no mobile phone signal and therefore could not tell our whereabouts to our families,” Varma said.

The fishermen had initially carried provisions that were expected to last around 15 days. Once the boat became stranded, however, they began carefully rationing whatever food remained. As their ordeal continued, the situation became increasingly desperate. At one point, they were reportedly eating only once every two days to conserve their dwindling supplies.

“We endured scorching heat, rain and hunger while drifting at sea, uncertain about when or whether help would reach them. 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.

The rescue came after a coordinated search involving the Andhra Pradesh government, the Indian Navy, the Coast Guard and central marine agencies.

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.

“He reviewed the search and rescue operation three times, sought regular updates and instructed officials to explore every possible avenue to trace the fishermen,” the statement said.

The chief minister congratulated the search teams and the officials involved in the operation and directed senior authorities to ensure that the fishermen were brought back to their hometowns safely.

Ramakrishna Varma said Prime Minister Narendra Modi, too, spoke to the fishermen on Wednesday evening and enquired about their safety and health. He reportedly assured them that all necessary arrangements would be made at Shankarpur jetty.

Amalapuram MLA A Ananda Rao visited Odalarevu village later in the evening and distributed sweets among the families.

Srinivasa Rao is Senior Assistant Editor based out of Hyderabad covering developments in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana . He has over three decades of reporting experience.