Coast Guard tows fishing boat to safety off TN coast

 The Coast Guard on Tuesday said its vessel had towed back to safety a stranded fishing boat with six crew off Tamil Nadu.

In a statement issued here, the Coast Guard said the Maritime Rescue Sub-Centre at Thoothukudi received a distress message on November 17.

Immediately Coast Guard deputed its vessel ICGS Aadesh for search and rescue approximately 70 nautical miles off Cape Comorin.

The coastal security agency also pressed its Dornier aircraft into service which located the boat on November 18 afternoon and vectored ICGS Aadesh to the spot.

The fishing boat 'El Sahadai' was crippled on the high seas owing to a problem in its engine clutch assembly.

As the reparing the fishing boat did not succeed, the Coast Guard vessel towed the fishing boat to Colachel and reached Thangapattanam fishing harbour on Tuesday morning.IANS