Members of the coast guard have rescued 19 fishermen after they spent two days drifting in the deep sea following an engine failure on their fishing boat.
Coast Guard media officer Lieutenant Commander Sabbir Alam Sujon confirmed the matter in a press release issued on Wednesday afternoon.
According to the Coast Guard, the fishing boat FB Ma-2 left Hatiya on 8 July with 19 fishermen onboard for a fishing trip.
The boat’s engine malfunctioned on 13 July, leaving the vessel stranded in the sea and the fishermen unable to communicate for two days.
The situation changed on Wednesday morning when the boat entered a mobile network area, allowing one of the fishermen to contact the Coast Guard around 10am and seek help.
Following the call, a rescue operation was launched by Coast Guard Station Bhashan Char and the vessel BCGS Kutubdia, which was deployed under Operation Suraksha.
The rescue team located the disabled boat in the deep sea area west of Norman’s Point in Chattogram and brought all 19 fishermen to safety.
The rescued fishermen were provided with first aid and necessary food supplies by the Coast Guard.
Officials said the process of handing over the fishermen and the boat to their owners is currently underway.
The Coast Guard said it would continue such emergency rescue operations to ensure the safety of fishermen and coastal communities.
