Survived 29 days on raw fish: Sri Lankan father, son rescued off Bangladesh coast

Two Sri Lankan fishermen rescued from the Bay of Bengal off the coast of Maheshkhali in Cox's Bazar, Bangladesh are now in police custody. Maheshkhali police station took them into custody on Saturday night.

The pair were rescued on Friday by local fishermen from a fishing boat that had been drifting after its engine broke down. They had spent 36 days adrift at sea, surviving on raw fish for 29 of those days, they said.

The two Sri Lankan nationals are father and son. They have been identified as SH Chaminda and his son Saunda Hannadigipiyawating. Their home is on Rural Hospital Road in Devinuwaraof Sri Lanka.

The fishing boat with engine failure was first spotted on Wednesday night by fisherman Ziaur Rahman while he was out fishing. The two men were rescued from the vessel and brought ashore in Maheshkhali on Friday night. Since then, they had been staying at the home of Ziaur Rahman, a resident of South Para in Kutubjom Union and owner of the rescue boat.

Police said the two fishermen identified themselves through gestures. They expressed their wish to return to Sri Lanka as soon as possible and also asked to take their fishing boat back with them.

Maheshkhali Police Station officer-in-charge Md Abdus Sultan said, “Necessary legal procedures are being taken regarding the two fishermen. We are consulting our senior officers. We hope the matter will be resolved by today. We have also seized their fishing boat.”

Ziaur Rahman, who rescued the pair, said the two Sri Lankans repeatedly appealed to be allowed to return home. They also wanted to take their boat with them. However, he said it would not be possible to travel such a long distance across rough seas in the small vessel from Maheshkhali. The authorities have said they will take the necessary steps.

According to police and local sources, four fishermen set out in a fishing boat off the coast of Sri Lanka 36 days ago. During bad weather, the boat's engine failed and it drifted towards the Andaman Sea. Three days later, two of the fishermen returned to the Sri Lankan coast with the help of another boat. The father and son chose to remain aboard because it was their own vessel.

Seven or eight days later, a group of people from Myanmar boarded the boat and looted valuable items, including binoculars and a camera.

Eventually, the boat drifted into the Bay of Bengal and reached the coast of Maheshkhali. Their food supplies ran out seven days after the journey began. They then survived for the next 29 days by eating bait kept for fishing hooks and raw fish they caught from the sea.

Ziaur Rahman, owner of the rescue boat, said they spotted the drifting vessel on Wednesday night while returning from deep-sea fishing. As they approached, they found two men lying inside, one of whom was in very poor physical condition.

The pair pleaded for help with folded hands. Out of humanitarian concern, they took them aboard their own boat and towed the disabled vessel with a rope to Tajiyakata Ghat dock in Kutubjom Union, Maheshkhali, arriving on Friday night, added Ziaur.

The rescuer said communication was difficult because of the language barrier. With the help of his relative Selim, who lives in Dubai and acted as an interpreter, they were able to confirm the identities of the two Sri Lankan nationals and learn the details of their ordeal.