In a daring operation, the Indian Navy rescued four crew members of a tugboat Sonika, who were stranded at sea off Mumbai coast on Monday night, by using a Seaking 42C helicopter.'
Acting on a distress call received at its Mumbai Main Police Control Room from the tugboat Sonika, a police launch from Mahim reached the site by 9.15 pm on Monday, but could not approach the tugboat Sonika due to rocks and shallow waters.
The tugboat, with four men onboard, had run aground on rocks in the waters off Raj Bhavan during low tide and had begun to flood. The site is in vicinity of the general area where the Shivaji statue is planned to be built.
Before long, the Indian Navy depoloyed police launch from Mahim reached the site at 9:15 pm but could not approach tug boat Sonika due to rocks and shallow waters. The Indian Navy was appro-
ached for assistance and the Joint Operations Center was also contacted by the police.
later on at 11.20 pm, the Navy launched a naval Seaking 42C helicopter, with rescue team onboard, from Naval Air Station, INS Shikra. The helicopter was able to rescue all four stranded men and returned to base by 11.45 pm.
Upon arrival, the rescued men were provided medical check up by doctor of INS Shikra. The crew is safe and no injury was reported, said official sources.