Indian Coast Guard ALH helicopter with 4 crew makes emergency landing at sea, 3 missing

An Indian Coast Guard Advanced Light Helicopter (ALH) with crew members on board was forced to make an emergency landing at sea during an operation, newswire ANI reported.

The ALH in question had saved 67 lives during recent cyclonic weather in Gujarat. It was launched around 2300 hours (11 pm) on September 2 to medically evacuate a seriously injured crew member onboard Indian Flagged Motor Tanker Hari Leela into the sea, about 45 km from Porbandar, in response to a request from the vessel's master, the ICG said.

One Crew Found, Three Missing

Citing ICG, ANI reported that the aircraft's wreckage had been located. So far, one crew member has recovered. Search and rescue for the remaining three is in progress.

The incident happened whilst the helicopter was approaching the vessel for evacuation, the ICG added.

ICG has pressed four ships and two aircraft for the search operation, it stated.

Previous Incidents

According to a press statement from the maritime force, on August 26, the ICG rescued 11 crew members from the distressed MV ITT Puma during a challenging night-time search and rescue operation.

As per the statement, the Mumbai-registered general cargo vessel was en route from Kolkata to Port Blair when it reportedly sank about 90 nautical miles south of Sagar Island (West Bengal).

The Maritime Search and Rescue Coordination Centre (MRCC) Chennai initially received a distress signal late on August 25. The ICG's Regional Headquarters (North East) in Kolkata promptly mobilised two ICG vessels and a Dornier aircraft to the site.

The Dornier aircraft, equipped with advanced night-capable sensors, detected adrift liferafts and sighted survival red flares from the distressed crew.

Guided by the aircraft, the ICG ship reached the coordinates where two life rafts, tied together, were found, housing the survivors. Despite challenging weather conditions, the ICG ships Sarang and Amogh, alongside the Dornier aircraft, executed a coordinated sea-air rescue, ensuring the crew's safety during the late hours of August 25 and the early hours of August 26.

(With inputs from ANI)