Two fishermen ‘drifted at sea for 36 days,’ survived on raw fish
Two Sri Lankan fishermen rescued after drifting in the Bay of Bengal. Photo: Agamir Somoy
Bangladeshi fishermen have rescued two Sri Lankan fishermen alive after finding them drifting in the Bay of Bengal. The two rescued men claimed they had “drifted at sea for 36 consecutive days after losing their way while fishing.” They also said they survived by eating raw fish during that time. Police are verifying their claims.
The rescuers are fishermen from Maheshkhali in Cox’s Bazar. According to them, they became suspicious after spotting a drifting fiberglass trawler near the Sonarchar area of the Bay of Bengal on Wednesday. They approached the vessel and rescued the two men, who were weak and ill, and brought them aboard their fishing boat. They later took them to Maheshkhali at around 10 pm Thursday.
The two rescued men have been identified as S. H. Chaminda (51), and his son, Sounda Hannadigipiyawating (30). They are residents of Rural Hospital Road in the Devinuwara area of Sri Lanka.
According to Ziaur Rahman, the skipper who led the rescue operation, the two men identified themselves as Sri Lankan nationals and as father and son. According to their account, they lost their way while fishing and then drifted at sea for 36 days.
He further said, “The two fishermen said they caught a large fish while drifting at sea for a long period and survived by eating it raw. They claimed they managed to stay alive this way despite suffering from a severe shortage of food and clean drinking water.”
The rescuing fishermen said attempts have been made to contact the family members of the two men. Their family has also reportedly confirmed that they had been missing for a long time.
Maheshkhali Police Station Officer in Charge Mojibur Rahman said, “The two rescued men are Sri Lankan nationals. They are initially believed to be father and son. However, we are verifying how they ended up drifting at sea, whether they had really been at sea for 36 days, and other information related to their identities.”
He said the relevant authorities are preparing to contact the Sri Lankan authorities regarding the matter. Necessary legal steps will be taken after the verification process is completed.
