14 Indian Seafarers Rescued After Vessel Sinks in Arabian Sea
Fourteen Indian seafarers were rescued in the Northern Arabian Sea after their vessel sank following an engine failure in rough weather, The Maritime Telegraph reported. The rescue took place about 80 nautical miles east of Ras Al Hadd, Oman, and involved Omani authorities, a commercial ship, and U.S. Navy assets.
The Indian-flagged dhow MSV Virat 1 lost power and started taking on water. The crew sent a distress call and abandoned the vessel in liferafts.
A U.S. Navy patrol aircraft located the seafarers and dropped emergency rescue equipment, including an additional liferaft. Soon after, the ro-ro vessel Jabal Ali 9 arrived and safely rescued 11 crew members. Strong winds and heavy seas complicated the operation. Before the remaining three seafarers could be brought aboard the merchant ship, their liferaft capsized. A helicopter from the U.S. aircraft carrier Abraham Lincoln then rescued them from the water.
The Embassy of India in Oman confirmed that all 14 seafarers are safe and in good health. They are now travelling to Mumbai aboard the diverted commercial vessel.
The Maritime Telegraph reported that the rescue was carried out through close cooperation between Omani rescue services, a merchant vessel, and U.S. Navy forces operating in the region.
