Two fishermen missing off Pamban as rough seas hit Gulf of Mannar

Two fishermen went missing after being swept into the sea from a country boat amid rough sea conditions near Pamban, off the Rameswaram coast, triggering a search operation by fishermen and authorities.
According to officials, five fishermen — Sarathkumar (28), Tyson (32), Reagan, Tony and Vellaisamy — set out to sea from the Pamban Kundugal fishing harbour near Rameswaram in Ramanathapuram district. They were fishing in the Gulf of Mannar, close to the Dhanushkodi coastal stretch, on Friday night.
The Rameswaram and Dhanushkodi coastal areas have been witnessing rough seas and strong winds for the past three days. Despite the adverse weather, the fishermen continued their operations. During the night, their country boat was caught in turbulent waters, causing Sarathkumar and Tyson to lose balance and fall into the sea.
The remaining three fishermen made repeated attempts to rescue them but were unsuccessful due to high waves and strong currents. After prolonged efforts failed, they returned safely to shore and informed the Fisheries Department about the incident.
Following this, fishermen from Pamban ventured out in country boats to search for the missing men. However, officials said the rescue operation has been severely hampered by continuing rough sea conditions.
The missing fishermen were identified as Sarathkumar, a resident of Chinnapalam village, and Tyson, who hails from the Periyathazhi area in Thoothukudi district.
National Boat Fishermen’s Association president S. P. Rayappan, AITUC Fishermen’s Association president Senthilvel and the families of the missing fishermen have appealed to the State government to intensify the search by deploying the Indian Navy and the Coast Guard.
Authorities said the search operation has been initiated with the involvement of multiple agencies, though challenging weather conditions continue to pose difficulties along the Pamban–Dhanushkodi coast.