In a late night operation, the Indian Navy rescued five officers of the Indian Coast Guard (ICG) and an Army jawan from a Seabird class sailing boat when the vessel encountered gusty winds and was about to capsize off the Mumbai coast.
Acting on an alert received by the Maritime Operations Centre , Mumbai AT 21.35 hours on Friday about a missing Seabird class sailing boat with five Coast Guard officers and one army jawan was about to capsize off Prongs Lighthouse, 8 nautical miles from the Mumbai.
The sailors’ team was practising sailing as a part of the on-going Coast Guard Week celebrations, when strong winds threw them off guard.
The boat was sailing Malad’s Marwe locality in north Mumbai to Army Yachting Node at Colaba in south Mumbai.
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 2320 hrs,” Commander Mehul Karnik, Chief Public Relations Officer, Indian Navy said here on Saturday.
All six survivors were thereafter taken to INS Asvini for medical examination.