Last update - 00:00 17/02/2007
Israeli fishing boat swept into Egyptian waters, returned to Eilat
By Revital Levy-Stein, Haaretz Correspondent
An Israeli fishing boat carrying five fisherman from Eilat was swept Saturday morning into Egyptian waters beside the Sinai Peninsula resort town of Taba, following a technical problem with the engine.
Egyptian naval vessels collected the fisherman and conducted a brief investigation.
Earlier, the fisherman had requested help from the Israel Navy, which referred them to police according to regulations.
After police vessels were delayed in arriving, the fishing boat crossed into Egyptian waters. A naval vessel located nearby failed to provide assistance.
Around 2:30 P.M., following contacts between an Israeli liaison officer and his Egyptian counterpart, the fishermen were released and pulled with their vessel back into Israeli territory.
The Egyptian authorities did not file charges against the fisherman.