Tanker Crew Medical Emergency Sparks Concerns Over Evacuation Access
Reports of delays in emergency medical assistance to a crew member aboard a tanker in the Sea of Oman have raised new concerns about medical evacuation access for seafarers in high-risk waters, The Maritime Telegraph reports.
A 35-year-old Indian second officer on the tanker Celestial Sea became seriously ill while the vessel was sailing off Oman. The Forward Seamen’s Union of India (FSUI) said the crew sent multiple urgent requests for medical evacuation and distress alerts, but help did not arrive in time.
The officer passed away on June 11 before medical assistance reached the ship, according to the union. FSUI said the body stayed onboard for three days until the vessel reached port. The union also said crew members used bottles of cold water to slow decomposition, as the ship did not have proper refrigeration.
On June 14, the Indian Embassy in Oman confirmed the body was taken ashore at the port of Duqm and moved to a local hospital. The embassy is working with local authorities and the family to arrange repatriation to India.
The cause of the illness has not been shared. The case adds to a growing number of incidents involving Indian seafarers in the Gulf region during the ongoing Hormuz crisis.
MV Celestial Sea, built in 2007 and sailing under the Arura flag, was involved in another incident on May 20. U.S. forces boarded and redirected the vessel in the Gulf of Oman after it was suspected of violating U.S. trade restrictions linked to Iranian ports.
The case highlights ongoing challenges in getting fast medical evacuation in regions with heavy security presence and military activity, where response times can be delayed.
