Shipwrecked Sri Lankan fishermen rescued

Colombo, July 21 : Two Sri Lankan fishermen shipwrecked for 48 hours were rescued by a Chinese vessel near the Colombo Port, media reported.

The captain of the Chinese sea sand dredger working for the Colombo Port City project, spotted the two drifting fishermen who were clinging on to an empty fuel diesel drum, Xinhua news agency reported.

The rescue team from the Port City used a barge to reach out to the fishermen, who had been without food and water for two days, amid waves as high as two metres, the vessel's company said.

The fishermen aged 64 and 57 were then transferred to hospital.

The two men had left on a deep sea fishing expedition on July 14, when their boat engine failed causing it to drifting and later strike a reef.

The fishermen had abandoned ship and started swimming to the shore with the help of the empty fuel drum.