KOCHI: An advanced light helicopter (ALH) of the Indian Coast Guard carried out a medical evacuation of a mariner who suffered a stroke and had partial paralysis fighting a turbulent sea on Monday morning. Mariner Pradeep Das, a crew member of the motor tanker Global Star, suffered a suspected stroke and had high blood pressure. He had partial paralysis on the left side of his body which necessitated an immediate medical evacuation.
The vessel was en route to Colombo from Khorfakkan in the UAE. While passing through the Arabian Sea, the vessel developed a technical snag on July 10 and was anchored 52 miles west of Kozhikode.
On July 23, the Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre in Mumbai received information through Centro Internazionale Radio Medic (CIRM), Italy, that one of the crew members onboard Global Star had a suspected stroke and required medical evacuation. The MRCC, Mumbai, tasked the Maritime Rescue Sub Centre (MRSC) in Kochi to attend the distress call.
The MRSC established communication with the vessel and launched an operation to evacuate the distressed mariner. The Coast Guard diverted ICGS Arnvesh which was maintaining a vigil in the area to the location. Considering the vulnerability of the situation and rough sea conditions, an ALH was sent on Monday morning to carry out a mid-sea evacuation.
The vessel was located 112 nautical miles off the Kochi coast. Amidst challenging weather, heavy rain, and poor visibility, the pilots managed to reach the vessel and successfully evacuated the mariner.