ICG Helicopter crash: Bodies of two Indian coast guard found, one still missing
NEW DELHI: The bodies of two Indian Coast Guard (ICG) jawans were recovered from the Arabian Sea late on Tuesday evening, following an emergency landing of an ICG Advanced Light Helicopter (ALH) in the sea late Monday night. One crew member had been rescued earlier, while one is still missing.
The helicopter, which had recently played a crucial role in rescuing 67 lives during cyclonic weather in Gujarat, was en route to evacuate a seriously injured crew member from the Indian-flagged motor tanker Hari Leela, approximately 45 kilometers off the coast of Porbandar.The incident occurred around 11 pm.
According to the Indian Coast Guard, the helicopter, carrying four aircrew members, was forced to make an emergency landing at sea while approaching the vessel. The cause of the emergency landing is still under investigation.
A massive search and rescue operation was swiftly mobilised by the ICG, deploying four ships and two aircraft to search the area for the missing crew members. While the wreckage of the aircraft has been located, efforts continue to find the remaining missing crew member.
The ICG had earlier successfully rescued 11 crew members from the distressed MV ITT Puma on August 26, during a challenging night-time search and rescue operation. The Mumbai-registered general cargo vessel was traveling from Kolkata to Port Blair when it reportedly sank approximately 90 nautical miles south of Sagar Island in West Bengal.
The ICG’s Regional Headquarters (North East) in Kolkata had quickly dispatched two ICG vessels and a Dornier aircraft to the location after receiving a distress signal from the Maritime Search and Rescue Coordination Centre (MRCC) Chennai late on August 25.
The helicopter, which had recently played a crucial role in rescuing 67 lives during cyclonic weather in Gujarat, was en route to evacuate a seriously injured crew member from the Indian-flagged motor tanker Hari Leela, approximately 45 kilometers off the coast of Porbandar.The incident occurred around 11 pm.
According to the Indian Coast Guard, the helicopter, carrying four aircrew members, was forced to make an emergency landing at sea while approaching the vessel. The cause of the emergency landing is still under investigation.
A massive search and rescue operation was swiftly mobilised by the ICG, deploying four ships and two aircraft to search the area for the missing crew members. While the wreckage of the aircraft has been located, efforts continue to find the remaining missing crew member.
The ICG had earlier successfully rescued 11 crew members from the distressed MV ITT Puma on August 26, during a challenging night-time search and rescue operation. The Mumbai-registered general cargo vessel was traveling from Kolkata to Port Blair when it reportedly sank approximately 90 nautical miles south of Sagar Island in West Bengal.
The ICG’s Regional Headquarters (North East) in Kolkata had quickly dispatched two ICG vessels and a Dornier aircraft to the location after receiving a distress signal from the Maritime Search and Rescue Coordination Centre (MRCC) Chennai late on August 25.
