Students from Irukkam Island stranded mid-lake after boat mishap near Tirupati district

In a distressing incident on Thursday evening, a boat carrying approximately 60 students from Irukkam Island in Tada mandal of Tirupati district found itself trapped mid-Pulicat Lake, ensnared by a fishing net. These students were returning from their day at the Tamil School located in Sunnambukulam, Tamil Nadu.

The usual morning ride to Sunnambukulam had gone without a hitch. However, the return trip became an unforeseen ordeal as the boat got caught, making them helpless in the middle of the expansive lake. With no communication devices on board and no cell phone signals available, the boatman was left without means to notify anyone on the island about their critical situation.

As the clock ticked away and the boat didn’t show up, anxiety gripped the parents. By the time it was 6 p.m., panic had set in. Determined to find their children, anxious parents and villagers embarked on a search mission on the lake, braving the challenges of the darkening horizon.

In a stroke of resourcefulness amidst the looming crisis, the stranded boatman signaled using flickering lights, providing a beacon for the searching parents. Spotted by the relief-laden parents, students were soon safely transferred to another vessel and brought back to Irukkam Island.