NEW DELHI: The Indian Coast Guard (ICG) and Pakistan Maritime Security Agency (PMSA) successfully rescued 12 Indian crew members from the sunken vessel MSV Al Piranpir in the North Arabian Sea on December 4.
The operation, an example of international maritime collaboration, was carried out with seamless coordination between the Maritime Rescue Coordination Centres (MRCCs) of both nations.
The Indian Coast Guard said in a statement on X, “ICGS Sarthak successfully rescued 12 Indian crew members of sunken dhow Al Piranpir. This humanitarian mission saw close collaboration with Pak MSA, with both MRCCs coordinating and Pak MSA aircraft assisting in the search for survivors. Rescued crew are being brought back to Porbandar.”
The distress call for the mechanized sailing vessel, which had departed Porbandar for Bandar Abbas, Iran, was received by MRCC Mumbai after it sank due to rough seas and flooding. Acting swiftly, ICG’s Regional Headquarters (North West) in Gandhinagar diverted ICGS Sarthak to the reported location, approximately 270 km west of Dwarka, within Pakistan’s Search and Rescue (SAR) Region.
The crew, who had abandoned the sinking vessel and taken refuge in a dinghy, were located with the help of a Pakistan MSA aircraft and merchant vessel MV Cosco Glory. Upon rescue, they were found in good health and are now en route to Porbandar Harbour in Gujarat, where further assistance will be provided.
This comes after the ICG earlier in November rescued 10 individuals, including six fishermen, stranded on an offshore jetty amid adverse weather in Tamil Nadu.
