KARACHI, March 21: Two fishing boats caught in rough sea conditions and a dust storm were rescued by the aviation and surface units of Pakistan Navy off Gwadar on Wednesday, said ISPR (Navy).

According to an ISPR media release, prevailing adverse weather conditions took the local fishing community by surprise, and two boats with eight people onboard went missing because of rough seas and poor visibility caused by the dust storm.

The Pakistan Navy deployed its surface ships and helicopters in response to a call for help by local authorities. The boats under distress had drifted about 30-40 nautical miles from the coast and lost communication with land. The crew members were rescued by the helicopters and their boats were towed by PN ship Babur to a safe location towards Gwadar harbour.