NEW DELHI: Acting as a Good Samaritan at sea, the Indian Coast Guard (ICG) evacuated a Sri Lankan fisherman suffering from a medical emergency on board a Sri Lankan fishing boat drifting in Indian waters due to engine failure. As per the ICG, the alert regarding a Sri Lankan fishing boat ‘Kalpeni’ that was adrift at sea due to engine failure was received on April 1 at the Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre (MRCC) of the ICG at Chennai from MRCC Colombo.The Coast Guard said, “The boat had sailed from ‘Codbay’ harbour in Sri Lanka on March 22 with six crew and had ceased all communication from March 28.”On receiving information, the ICG diverted ships on patrol to the likely area. The Sri Lankan boat was sighted by ICG ship C-449 on April 2 about 40 Nm from Puducherry. A Coast Guard technical team boarded the boat and attempted to repair the engine but it was not feasible due to paucity of spares. The ICG ascertained the status of essential supplies on boat and intimated Sri Lankan authorities about its position for arranging a tow back to base port.One crew member on the boat Sumit Lalitha, aged 44, developed shortness of breath. By this time, the boat had drifted to 100 Nm from Chennai.
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