Kolkata: In a daring night-time rescue, the Indian Coast Guard (ICG) successfully saved 11 crew members from the distressed cargo vessel MV ITT Puma on August 26, 2024. The Mumbai-registered general cargo vessel, en route from Kolkata to Port Blair, reportedly sank approximately 90 nautical miles south of Sagar Island, West Bengal.
The distress call was received by the Maritime Search & Rescue Coordination Centre (MRCC) in Chennai late in the evening on August 25, 2024. The ICG’s Regional Headquarters (North East) in Kolkata immediately sprang into action, deploying two Coast Guard ships, Sarang and Amogh, along with a Dornier aircraft to locate and rescue the stranded crew.
The Dornier aircraft, equipped with night-vision capabilities, detected the life rafts adrift in the sea and spotted red flares sent up by the crew. Guided by the aircraft, the ICG ships arrived at the scene, finding two life rafts tied together, holding all 11 crew members.
Despite challenging weather and rough sea conditions, the Coast Guard teams executed a flawless sea-air rescue operation, ensuring the crew’s safety in the late hours of August 25 and early hours of August 26.
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