Coast Guard's daring op in rough seas, rescue 6 fishermen from sinking boat

The Indian Coast Guard rescued all six crew members of a distressed fishing boat off Mangaluru after it developed hull damage and began taking on water in rough sea conditions, officials said.

In Short

• Crew said hull damage caused flooding as rough weather worsened conditions
• Distress call came around 4 pm on June 29 from 33 nautical miles offshore
• ICGS Sachet diverted immediately and reached the vessel within 90 minutes

The Indian Coast Guard on Monday rescued six fishermen after their fishing boat developed severe flooding and hull damage in rough seas off the coast of Karnataka's Mangaluru, officials said.

According to the Coast Guard, the distress call was received at around 4 pm from the Indian fishing boat Manju Matha, which was located about 33 nautical miles off the Suratkal coast.

The crew reported that the vessel was taking on water due to hull damage caused by rough sea conditions, putting all six fishermen on board at risk.

The Coast Guard said the crew of ICGS Sachet, which was operating in the area, immediately altered course and reached the distressed vessel within about 90 minutes.

The rescue operation was carried out amid rough seas, strong winds, poor visibility and fading daylight. Coast Guard personnel used remote-operated lifebuoys to evacuate the stranded fishermen safely from the damaged boat.

All six crew members were rescued without injuries by around 6 pm, officials said. ICGS Sachet later proceeded to New Mangalore harbour to disembark the rescued fishermen and complete the necessary formalities.

The rescued vessel, Manju Matha (registration number IND KA 02 MO 5268), is a fibre-glass fishing boat registered in Udupi and was carrying a crew of six at the time of the incident.

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