A day after recovering the body of Chindas, 43, one of the four country boat fishermen who went missing on July 4, fishermen traced the body of another fisherman near Point Calimere on Saturday.
After the four fishermen went missing due to bad weather condition, fishermen traced and rescued two fishermen – Stephen and Anthony four days later on July 8, while continuing the search for two other fishermen.
After finding the body of Chindas in the mangrove forest area in the sea between Muthupettai and Point Calimere, fishermen intensified the search and found the body of Minon, 41, near Point Calimere on Saturday. After family members identified the body, doctors conducted the post mortem at the spot, they said.
A day after the four fishermen went missing, local fishermen, the Mandapam station of Indian Coast Guard and INS Parundu, the Indian Naval Air station launched intense search operation. Dornier aircraft from Chennai and Chetak helicopter from INS Parundu made aerial searches.
Fisheries department would consider awarding compensation to the families of the two fishermen though they ventured into sea for fishing disregarding the weather warning, officials said. Chindas is survived by his wife and two school going children.
Meanwhile, family members of six country boat fishermen from Nambuthalai, who were arrested by the Sri Lankan navy on charges of trespassing into the Lankan waters, presented petition to Collector K. Veera Raghava Rao and urged him to secure the release of the fishermen and boat at the earliest.
Deputy Director of Fisheries E. Kathavarayan said they had already taken up the matter with the State government and Additional Director of Fisheries (Ramanathapuram) Johny Tom Varghese has initiated steps to secure the release of the fishermen at the earliest. The fishermen, including a minor, have been remanded in judicial custody till July 26 in Jaffna prison.