Indian Coast Guard rescues 36 people from ocean research vessel off Karwar

The ship encountered an engine and total power failure, rendering it motionless and at the mercy of the sea’s currents

A research vessel of the National Institute of Oceanography, headquartered in Goa, developed a technical snag leaving it without engine power mid-sea, leading the Indian Coast Guard to launch a rescue mission to extract 36 crew members and valuable scientific instruments aboad the ship.

Visuals from the rescue operation. (Official handout photo.)

According to a Coast Guard statement, they received an alert that the vessel named Sindhu Sadhana was in distress and perilously drifted towards Karwar (Karnataka), carrying eight scientists among the total crew of 36 individuals.

The ship encountered an engine and total power failure, rendering it motionless and at the mercy of the sea’s currents. “The distress signal was received at the Coast Guard District Headquarters in Goa at approximately 1300 hrs on July 26, 2023,” the ship said.

“Responding swiftly to the distress call, the Indian Coast Guard launched a high-priority rescue mission, dispatching two advanced ships, ICGS Sujeet and ICGS Varaha, along with skilled teams to the area. Recognising the potential magnitude of the disaster, the Indian Coast Guard promptly initiated measures to safeguard the Ship, protect the fragile ecosystem, and prevent the vessel from running aground,” the Coast Guard said in the statement.

“ICGS Sujeet successfully took the ‘Sindhu Sadhana’ under tow, and both ships are currently en route to Goa, expected to reach Mormugao harbour on the morning of 28th July. The crew onboard the CSIR-NIO research vessel is safe and sound,” the statement added.

The vessel’s proximity to the ecologically sensitive Karwar coastline posed an imminent threat of grounding, which could have resulted in a major oil spill, causing devastating pollution to the marine ecosystem.