TUMBES, Peru — The Peruvian Navy has successfully conducted a rescue operation for approximately 30 fishermen who were stranded at sea for two days while facing heavy waves battering the northern coastline of Peru. The fishermen had encountered difficulties in navigating their boats back to Acapulco beach in the Tumbes area.

Jaime Yacila, the mayor of Contralmirante Villar province located in the Tumbes region, which is 1,200 kilometers (745 miles) north of Lima, reported on Saturday that some fishermen grew increasingly anxious and decided they could no longer await rescue at sea. This urgency expedited the rescue efforts.

“They (the fishermen) were determined not to abandon their boats,” Yacila relayed to journalists. Numerous boats have capsized due to the tumultuous waves, leading authorities to temporarily shut down several ports in the region as a precautionary measure.

Defense Minister Walter Astudillo monitored the situation closely from a helicopter, which provided aerial support during the rescue efforts within the impacted area.