Merchant vessel's crew members rescued by Coast Guard reach Porbandar

A merchant vessel, which was sailing nearby, was also directed to reach the spot to help the Coast Guard in its rescue operation, the release said.The stranded crew was finally air-lifted safely by indigenously-built twin engine Advanced Light Helicopters, which were sent from the ICG Air Station in Porbandar, it added.

An Indian Coast Guard (ICG) ship arrived at the Porbandar Air Station on Thursday evening with 19 of the 22 crew members who were rescued from a sinking merchant vessel off the Porbandar coast in Gujarat, an official said.

Of the total 22 crew members of the Karnataka-bound vessel - one of them from Pakistan - who were airlifted by Indian Coast Guard helicopters on Wednesday morning, three were directly brought to the Porbandar Air Station later in the day. Three others were dropped on another merchant vessel, while 16 were kept on-board ICG Ship 'Shoor'.

''In the morning, our helicopters once again air-lifted the trio from the merchant vessel and brought them on ICGS Shoor as we have to free that merchant ship as per protocols.

''ICGS Shoor reached our air enclave in Porbandar on Thursday evening. All the 19 persons were safe and healthy'' ICG Inspector General, (North West), Anil Kumar Harbola, told PTI.

He added that the rescued crew consisted of 20 Indians, a Pakistani and a Sri Lankan.

As per latest reports, the distressed merchant ship, Global King-1, which was abandoned by the crew following flooding on Wednesday, was found ''toppled'' in the night and ''most probably'' sank in the sea, said Harbola.

The Panama-registered vessel was on its way to Karwar in Karnataka from Khor Fakkan port in the UAE with 6,000-metric tonne of bitumen.

''The Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre, Mumbai, which is handled by the Coast Guard, informed us that the vessel is tilting because of flooding when the ship was nearly 190 km away from Porbandar,” said the IG.

Despite adverse weather conditions at the time, a Dornier aircraft was sent from the ICG Air Station in Porbandar to assess the situation and relay information to other vessels in the vicinity, said a release by the ICG on Wednesday.

The Dornier, on reaching the area, dropped a life raft for the crew, it said.

ICGS Shoor, which was already at the sea, was directed to immediately reach the area. A merchant vessel, which was sailing nearby, was also directed to reach the spot to help the Coast Guard in its rescue operation, the release said.

The stranded crew was finally air-lifted safely by indigenously-built twin engine Advanced Light Helicopters, which were sent from the ICG Air Station in Porbandar, it added.