MANGALURU: In a major search and rescue (SAR) operation, Indian Coast Guard, Karnataka saved an Ocean Research Vessel, Sagar Sampada after a fire was reported in the vessel at mid-sea on Friday night. Though the ship has suffered damage, all the 46 crew members have reached New Mangalore Port safely on Saturday.
Sagar Sampada, the marine life research vessel, with a crew of 30 and a team of 16 scientists was sailing 40 nautical miles off Mangaluru coast when she made the distress call to Indian Coast Guard about the fire aboard. She was sailing back to her home port at Kochi.
“We received the distress message at our Ops Room at about 10 pm and on receipt of the information, Coast Guard District Headquarters – 3 diverted Indian Coast Guard Ship, Vikram based at New Mangalore Port on her usual patrol trip as well as ICGS Sujay, Paradip port based coast vessel on patrol of Karnataka coast to render SAR”, said Coast Guard Commander, DIG S S Dasila.
Both the ships reached the site of the incident at 12.10 am of Saturday and commenced fire fighting operations. The boarding parties from both the ships, equipped with fire fighting and damage control equipment embarked Sagar Sampada.
Simultaneously ICGS Vikram effected boundary cooling on the affected vessel from forward portion using external fire fighting equipment. The joint fire-fighting team equipped with protective gears and breathing apparatus self-contained compressed air sets and thermal imaging cameras entered the accommodation areas, where the fire was reported and controlled the fire. Water jet also injected through vessel's side port hole to the affected compartment to douse the fire, Dasila, explaining the fire fighting, told media persons.
After successfully dousing the fire, the inflicted vessel was escorted to New Mangalore Port and berthed safely. The vessel and crew including scientists are safe and stable, Dasila said. The commander along with medical team visited the ship and interacted with the crew members and scientists. He said that Coast Guard is ready to handle any emerging situations out at sea.