Fourteen Rescued as Cargo Ship Capsizes Off India

by Mike Schuler

In another daring rescue this week, the Indian Navy and Coast Guard rescued fourteen sailors from a general cargo ship as it capsized and sank in severe weather off the coast of Umargam, India on Wednesday

India’s Ministry of Defence reports that the Coast Guard Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre (MRCC) received a distress call Wednesday morning from the anchored MV Coastal Pride requesting the evacuation of all 14 crew members as the vessel rolled in inclement weather.

The Coastal Pride had been anchored about 9 miles from the coast off Umargam, located about 71 miles north of Mumbai, since Tuesday after the vessel began experiencing engine trouble. A tug had previously been unable to reach the vessel due to the bad weather.

After receiving the distress call, the MRCC sent a Navy and Coast Guard helicopter to assist in the rescue mission. Once on scene, the Coast Guard helicopter was able to winch up the first six sailors from the vessel and drop them at a beach in Umargam in two separate trips. As the helicopter was returning for its third trip, the ship capsized. Amazingly, the remaining eight crewmembers were rescued from the water by the Coast Guard and Navy helicopter crews, which had just arrived from Mumbai.

Reports say the 2,000 DWT vessel was carrying a cargo of cement.

The rescue was the second this week for the Indian Navy and Coast Guard. On Monday, all 20 crew members were evacuated from the severely listing MV Jindal Kamakshi, which was anchored about 25 kilometers from Vasai creek, just north of Mumbai.

There were no casualties in either incident.

More Photos:

Photos courtesy India Ministry of Defence

Source: gCaptain

1. 

   Mhamme Quasem says:

   June 27, 2015 at 12:02 pm

   Good commendable job by MRCC crew