Coast Guard personnel on Monday rescued four crew members of a fishing boat 'Maa Dipti' that was stranded at the sea since January 17 due to engine failure.
Sources said the missing report of the fishing boat was forwarded to the Coast Guard by the Assistant Fishery Officer (AFO) of Mahakalapada on January 20. The boat had departed from Kharinasi on January 12 and the crew was not in communication with the owner since January 17.
An extensive search and rescue operation was launched by the Coast Guard on January 21. The Coast Guard ship Amogh on patrol was directed to undertake search along the coast and a Dornier aircraft took off on the last two days for a sea-air coordinated search operation. The boat was later located 58 nautical miles east off Gopalpur coast by the Dornier.
The Amogh was vectored by the Dornier and the ship reached the vicinity of the boat on the day. All the four crew members on board were found to be safe. Since the repair of the boat was not feasible at sea, it was towed by the ship to the Paradip fishing harbor, said a Coast Guard release.