Indian Coast Guard rescues 11 sailors from sinking merchant vessel

Chandigarh, August 26

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The Indian Coast Guard (ICG) carried out a swift night operation in adverse weather and challenging sea conditions on Sunday and rescued 11 persons from a sinking merchant vessel that was sailing from Kolkata to Port Blair.

Two Coast Guard ships, Sarang and Amogh, along with a Dornier aircraft, were involved in the rescue mission. The merchant vessel ITT Puma, registered at Mumbai, sank 90 nautical miles south of Sagar Island in the Bay of Bengal.

ICG’s Maritime Search and Rescue Coordination Centre, Chennai, had received a distress email from the ship around 4:30 PM on Sunday, a Coast Guard spokesperson said. Responding to the distress call, ICG’s Regional Headquarters North East directed two ICG vessels and an aircraft for search and rescue efforts.

On reaching the area, the aircraft with night-capable sensors detected adrift life rafts. The distress crew fired survival red flares to give out their location, which were promptly sighted by the aircraft. On establishing visual contact, an IGC ship was vectored by the aircraft for picking up the survivors.

The ship approached the datum and sighted two life rafts with an orange canopy tied together and a survivor waving his hands along with using a whistle for sending signals. An extensive sea-air coordinated night search and rescue operation resulted in the safe evacuation of 11 crew during late night and early morning hours of August 25 and 26.

The search operation for the remaining crew is in progress by Coast Guard ships and aircraft in the area, the spokesperson added.