CG helicopter to be used for rescuing injured fishermen

Rameswaram, Tamil Nadu, Feb 4 (UNI) An Indian Coast Guard helicopter will be pressed into service for rescuing fishermen, shot at by the Sri Lankan Navy personnel in mid-sea, and rushing them for medical aid in Ramanathapuram district.

A decision to this effect was taken at a meeting, headed by District Collector R Kirlosh Kumar and attended by Superintendent of Police Thirugnanam and Coast Guard authorities, following increased instances of fishermen from this coastal town being targetted by the Lankan Navy.

In 2007, four such incidents were reported, in which one fisherman was gunned down and four others injured. It took nearly six hours to provide medical aid to the injured fishermen as bringing them to the shores and getting permission from the authorities concerned was a time consuming process.

Talking to newspersons after the meeting, Mr Kumar said that as the hospital here lacked adequate facilities, injured fishermen would be treated at the Government Hospital at Ramanathapuram.

''This arrangement will help us save precious lives by ensuring proper medical aid at the earliest as airlifting the injured and rushing them to the hospital will take just an hour. It will be a pilot project launched in next week,'' he said.

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