Missing fishermen rescued

Three Indian expat fishermen, who went missing along with their boat off the Sitra coast after going fishing last Tuesday, were rescued yesterday. 

Boat captain Justine (40), fishermen Muthukkali Pitchai (30) and Tamil Maran (25) were rescued yesterday during a search operation conducted by three fishing boats with the assistance of the Coast Guard.

Social worker Rayan said the boat’s engine broke down and they were lost in the open sea near Qatar border. The boat, with three crew members aboard, was towed to safety by evening yesterday.

There are around 500 fishermen working in Sitra area and a majority of them are from the Indian State of Tamil Nadu. Most of them did not go for work yesterday after hearing about the incident and gathered at Sitra harbour waiting for the safe return of the missing crew.

Tamil Maran’s father Mayavan told DT News that he received a phone call on Thursday night from his son, saying that the boat engine broke down. However, there was no information about him after that. 

Bahrain is facing an extreme weather with the Coast Guard warning fishermen to take precautions while fishing. 

The Meteorological Directorate also warned the public to take precautions. Yesterday, it forecast a relatively cold and humid weather at first, becoming moderate later during the day. 

Northwesterly winds range from 8 to 13 knots, reaching 15 to 20 knots at first.  Maximum temperature will be 21°C and minimum is 14 °C. Sea waves rise from 1 to 2 feet inshore and 3 to 5 feet offshore.