COLOMBO, July 21 (Xinhua) -- A Chinese sea sand dredger working on a sea reclamation project near the Colombo port had rescued two shipwrecked Sri Lankan fishermen, local media reported Friday.
The captain of the vessel working for the Colombo Port City project, spotted the two drifting fishermen who were clinging on to an empty fuel diesel drum.
The rescue team from the Port City used a barge to reach out to the fishermen amid waves as high as 2 meters, the vessel's company said.
The two local fishermen aged 64 and 57 were then transferred to hospital.
The two fishermen had left in a deep sea fishing boat on July 14. The engine had failed and the drifting boat had later struck a reef.
The fishermen had abandoned ship and started swimming to the shore with the help of the empty fuel drum.
The fishermen had been without food and water for 48 hours.
