Five officers of the Indian Coast Guard (ICG) and an Army jawan were successfully rescued by the Indian Navy after their sail boat encountered gusty wind and went missing off Mumbai coast.
The team was practising sailing as a part of the on going Coast Guard Week celebrations, when strong winds threw them off guard.
At 9.35 p.m. on Friday, the Maritime Operations Centre, Mumbai received information about a missing Seabird class sailing boat with five Coast Guard officers and one Army jawan embarked. It was intimated that the boat is likely to have capsized off Prongs Lighthouse whilst sailing from Marve, Malad to Army Yachting Node at Colaba.
“The Western Naval Command immediately launched its night capable Seaking 42C helicopter from INS Shikra for search and rescue. The helicopter, using night vision, located all six survivors in pitch dark night conditions and winched them up and returned to INS Shikra at 11.20 p.m,” Commander Mehul Karnik, Chief Public Relations Officer, Indian Navy said.
All six survivors were thereafter taken to INHS Asvini, Navy Nagar, Colaba for medical examination. They were reported to be out of danger.