In a tense operation near the Bangladesh border, the Border Security Force (BSF) successfully rescued 15 fishermen who had been stranded for nearly 72 hours in the turbulent waters of the Bay of Bengal.

The incident took place in Sunderbans’ Goran Khal on September 17.

Visuals showed the fishermen standing on the boat while BSF personnel approached in a rescue vessel. The relieved fishermen were brought to safety, ending days of uncertainty for their families and community in Diamond Harbour.

According to reports, the fishermen’s boat was hit by lightning, which damaged their GPS navigation and communication systems, leaving them lost at sea. The fishermen were part of a larger group of 49 who went missing after venturing out despite a red alert from the weather department.

A joint search operation led by the fishermen’s union, along with support from the Indian Coast Guard and the district administration of South 24-Parganas, found two boats carrying 33 other fishermen on Monday. The 33 fishermen were brought back to Sultanpur in Diamond Harbour early Tuesday.