PARADIP: Eleven crew members were rescued from the sea on the intervening night of Sunday and Monday by the timely intervention of the Indian Coast Guard (ICG) after their vessel capsized and sank into the rough waters of the Bay of Bengal.
Following their rescue, the crew members belonging to vessel MV ITT Puma, were provided with clothing and food by the ICG before they were admitted to the port hospital for treatment on Tuesday. Later in the afternoon, the ICG handed over the crew to the vessel’s owner.
Speaking to the media here, the rescued sailors recounted their close call with death, attributing their survival to the blessings of God and the swift actions of the ICG personnel.
Sources said MV ITT Puma, a general cargo vessel, was carrying construction materials like steel rods and plates, from Kolkata to Port Blair when it capsized and sank in the Bay of Bengal approximately 90 nautical miles south of the Sagar island. The vessel was declared abandoned by its captain, and the crew including the chief engineer, sent a distress mail to the Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre (MRCC) for assistance.
Second officer Sayed Baquarh Jafri said the vessel began listing at a 10-degree angle due to cargo shifting. “When the vessel started sinking, we sent a distress mail and prayed hard for our survival. It was during this time that we saw a red light and realised that the ICG personnel were coming to rescue us. Despite the adverse weather and darkness, the ICG saved us giving us a new lease of life. Unfortunately, three crew members including the captain, are still missing,” he said.
Chief engineer Dibakar Sau said the cargo comprising steel and iron plates, shifted to one side creating a hole in the vessel through which water entered the vessel.
ICG sources said MRCC Chennai received the distress mail from MV ITT Puma at 4.25 pm on Sunday. In response, the ICG regional headquarters (northeast), Kolkata, mobilised two ICG vessels and a Dornier aircraft to search and rescue the crew. At approximately 8.15 pm, the aircraft detected adrift life rafts, where the distressed crew members were firing survival red hand flares. The aircraft established visual contact and guided the ICG ships to the survivors’ location.
The SAR operation was carried out by ICG ships Sarang and Amogh, along with the ICG Dornier aircraft. Meanwhile, search for the remaining three missing crew members is underway.