Udupi: Four fishermen from Murudeshwar were rescued after their fishing boat developed engine trouble and remained stranded in the Arabian Sea on Friday evening.
The rescued fishermen have been identified as Raghavendra, Faizan, Nagendra and Dhanu, all residents of Murudeshwar.
Both engines fail at sea
The fishing boat Mahankali Prasad, purchased at Malpe by a fisherman from Murudeshwar, had left Malpe harbour for Murudeshwar on Thursday evening.
However, both engines reportedly developed technical problems, leaving the vessel stranded in the middle of the sea. The boat was subsequently reported missing when it failed to reach its destination.
The fishermen were unable to contact others as there was no network connectivity in the area. Their mobile phones had also been switched off.
Search launched after boat fails to arrive
Another fishing boat that had left Malpe along with the Mahankali Prasad reached Murudeshwar. When the missing boat failed to arrive, fishermen were alerted and several boats operating in the vicinity began searching for it.
Despite the search efforts, the stranded vessel could not initially be located.
Deep-sea fishing boat comes to rescue
Meanwhile, fishermen aboard the Mahaveer, a deep-sea fishing boat returning to Gangolli after completing fishing operations, spotted the stranded vessel.
The fishermen aboard the Mahaveer rescued all four men and subsequently towed the Mahankali Prasad to Gangolli harbour, bringing the tense episode to a safe end.
The timely intervention by fellow fishermen prevented what could have developed into a serious emergency at sea.