Coast Guard rescues two crew members from stranded US yacht

New Delhi, July 11 (IANS) The Indian Coast Guard (ICG) successfully rescued two crew members aboard a US sailing vessel, 'Sea Angel', which was stranded approximately 52 nautical miles southeast of Indira Point in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands.

The rescue operation was completed on Friday morning with the towing of the stranded ship to the harbour.

According to the Ministry of Defence (MoD), the incident occurred on July 10 when the yacht became disabled in extremely rough sea conditions due to a blown sail and an entangled propeller.

Upon receiving a distress alert, the Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre (MRCC) in Port Blair immediately launched rescue coordination protocols and alerted nearby merchant vessels. ICG Ship Rajveer was swiftly deployed to the location.

After establishing communication with the stranded crew, the Coast Guard team conducted an on-site assessment and confirmed that both individuals were safe and in good health despite the challenging weather and mechanical failure.

According to the rescue team, the Sea Angel ship was successfully towed and escorted to Campbell Bay harbour, marking the successful completion of the rescue mission.

The MoD said that this operation once again highlights the Indian Coast Guard’s prompt response capabilities and commitment to ensuring maritime safety in the region.

Earlier, a few days ago, the Indian Navy had demonstrated a rapid operational readiness and its unwavering commitment to seafarer safety. The Indian Navy undertook a high-risk firefighting and rescue operation on board Palau-flagged tanker MT Yi Cheng 6 on June 29 in the North Arabian Sea.

In this operation, the Navy successfully stabilised the situation and ensured the safety of 14 Indian crew members. INS Tabar was on a mission-based deployment, had received a Mayday distress call from MT Yi Cheng 6.

The vessel reported a major fire outbreak in its engine room whilst operating approximately 80 nautical miles east of Fujairah, UAE. Responding swiftly, INS Tabar proceeded at maximum speed to provide assistance. The ship reached in vicinity of the distressed vessel and upon arrival established communication with the Master of the vessel and commenced fire-fighting operations.

--IANS

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