Coast guard rescues 12 men marooned in Arabian Sea, with Pak pitching in too

The Indian mechanised sailing vessel Al Piranpir was on its way from Porbandar to Bandar Abbas in Iran when it encountered the rough seas

The Indian Coast Guard (ICG) on Wednesday rescued 12 seafarers who were marooned in the northern Arabian Sea after their vessel sank due to flooding in the rough seas, with the Pakistan Maritime Security Agency (PMSA) also collaborating with its resources to execute the mission, the defence ministry said on Thursday.

Crew members of the ship Al Piranpir being rescued by the Indian Coast Guard. (PTI)

The Indian mechanised sailing vessel Al Piranpir was on its way from Porbandar to Bandar Abbas in Iran when it encountered the rough seas.

“This humanitarian search and rescue mission was marked by close collaboration between the ICG and PMSA, with both nations’ Maritime Rescue Coordination Centres (MRCCs) maintaining continuous communication throughout the operation,” the ministry said in a statement.

The distress call was received by the ICG’s MRCC in Mumbai, which promptly alerted the coast guard’s regional headquarters (northwest) in Gandhinagar. ICG ship Sarthak was diverted to the reported location and MRCC Pakistan was simultaneously contacted to alert mariners in the area.

“ICGS Sarthak deployed for forward area patrolling, proceeded at maximum speed to the probable location and conducted an extensive search operation. The 12 crew members, who had abandoned their vessel and taken refuge in a dinghy, were located and rescued approximately 270 km west of Dwarka, within Pakistan’s search and rescue region,” the defence ministry said in Delhi.

The search for survivors was supported by a PMSA aircraft and the merchant ship MV Cosco Glory.

ICG’s prompt and coordinated response underscores its unwavering commitment to safeguarding lives at sea, and the rescue operation showcases the coast guard’s capabilities and readiness to address maritime emergencies in the region, it added.

The rescued seafarers were examined by the medical team onboard ICGS Sarthak and were reported to be in good health. “They are being transported back to Porbandar harbour, Gujarat.”

On Wednesday, PMSA confirmed that it successful coordination of the maritime rescue operation that saved the lives of 12 men who were stranded in a life raft after the Al Piranpir sank.

PMSA gave granular details on X of the help rendered by Pakistan during the rescue mission. “At approximately 1020 hours, the MRCC Pakistan received an urgent email from MRCC Mumbai requesting assistance to locate and rescue survivors from the sunken vessel.”

PMSA said the Indian vessel was reported to have sunk in Pakistan’s exclusive economic zone (EEZ). Every coastal country’s EEZ extends to 200 nautical miles from its shores, and it has exclusive rights to all resources in the water, including oil, natural gas and fish.

It added that it initiated a coordinated rescue operation involving multiple assets and agencies, including the Pakistan Navy.

A PMSA aircraft was immediately tasked to locate the survivors, while nearby commercial vessels were alerted and requested to assist in the rescue.

“The Joint Maritime Information Coordination Centre facilitated seamless collaboration, placing both Pakistan Navy (PN) and PMSA ships on high alert, with the nearest PN ship promptly dispatched to the scene,” PMSA said, adding that necessary arrangements were made to enable a nearby ICG vessel in the adjacent EEZ (Indian) to recover the survivors.

“The swift response and effective coordination resulted in the successful rescue of all 12 survivors of the Indian cargo vessel, demonstrating the PMSA’s commitment to upholding international SAR (search and rescue) obligations and fostering regional cooperation. This operation underscores PMSA’s readiness and professional expertise in responding to maritime emergencies, regardless of nationality, reflecting Pakistan’s dedication to safety at sea and adherence to international conventions,” PMSA aded.

The development came weeks after an ICG ship secured the release of seven fishermen apprehended by a PMSA vessel near the maritime boundary between the two countries in the northern Arabian Sea after a two-hour chase and tough negotiations.

On November 17, coast guard ship Agrim intercepted the Pakistani vessel Nusrat and conducted a rare and daring operation on the high seas. Agrim had swung into action after receiving a distress call from an Indian fishing boat, which sounded the first alert about the seven fishermen (who were onboard another Indian fishing boat Kal Bhairav) being apprehended the PMSA vessel.