Chetak News

The Indian Navy has widened its search operations for the missing crew members of the Pawan Hans helicopter  (C/s VT-PWA) which crashed off the Mumbai coast on Saturday. The helicopter with seven people on-board, including five Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC) officers and two pilots, crashed off the Mumbai coast minutes after it took off for the state-owned company’s oil installation in the Arabian sea on Saturday. According to NDTV report, on the third day of search in the high seas, the rescuers located the last remaining body - of the missing pilot. Earlier the rescue teams of Indian Navy and the Coast Guard had recovered six bodies on Saturday, including the five ONGC deputy general managers who perished and one of the pilots. However, this is not officially confirmed.

Indian Navy's search and rescue operations continued for the third day over Southeast Arabian Sea and Lakshadweep and Minicoy islands in the aftermath of Very Severe Cyclonic Storm 'OCKHI'. The ships deployed by the Southern Naval Command include IN Ships Sagardhwani, Jamuna, Nireekshak, Kabra and Kalpeni off the Kerala coast and Sharda , Shardul towards Lakshadweep islands. Besides this three air craft viz, Dornier fixed wing aircraft, Seaking Helicopter (SK) and Advanced Light Helicopter (ALH) were also deployed throughout the day. A total of 84 personnel have been rescued over the last two days which includes 62 by aircrafts and 22 by ships. Additionally, transfer of two dead bodies was also effected through ALH to Thiruvananthapuram after being picked up by INS Sagardhwani.

In an initiative to bolster bilateral relations with friendly foreign countries and navies in the Indian ocean region, INS Sarvekshak, a hydrographic survey ship of Southern Naval Command, arrived at Dar-es-Salaam Tanzania on 15 November 2017 for undertaking joint  Hydrographic Survey along with the Tanzanian Navy. The joint survey will be conducted with the Naval personnel of Tanzania who have been trained in India in National Institute of Hydrography, Goa. During the survey, training of Tanzanian Naval personnel will also be undertaken on advanced hydrographic equipment and practices. The ship will visit Dar-es-Salaam harbour in Tanzania during her stay for refuelling and replenishing stores and provisions. Joint exercises with Tanzanian Navy are planned during the period of deployment.

INS Viraat, the world’s oldest aircraft carrier and the flag ship of the Indian Navy, was decommissioned on Monday after serving for 30 years in the Indian Navy. INS Viraat holds the world record as mentioned in the Guinness Book of records for being the longest serving warship of the world. INS Viraat, the second Centaur-Class aircraft carrier in service which has spent 30 years in the Indian Navy and 27 years in the Royal Navy, was decommissioned on the day, in a solemn yet grand ceremony at Naval Dockyard, Mumbai. The decommissioning ceremony was attended by more than 1300 personnel who have served on board INS Viraat. Admiral Sir Philip Jones…

INS Darshak, a Hydrographic Survey ship of Eastern Naval Command (ENC), India departed on a two-month long deployment for undertaking two Joint Hydrographic surveys along  with the Sri Lankan Navy on 03 March 2017. The pioneer surveys will be conducted with Sri Lankan Naval personnel embarked on board INS Darshak. During the course of survey training of Sri Lankan personnel will also be undertaken on advanced hydrographic practices. The ship will visit Colombo and Galle harbours and undertake several joint exercises with Sri Lankan Navy. INS Darshak is a specialized survey ship of the Indian Navy, fitted with the latest state-of-the-art specialized survey equipment like multi beam system, side scan sonar and a fully automated digital surveying and processing system.

At about 1000 hrs on 02 Aug 2016, Indian Coast Guard Air Station Daman received telephonic information from Valsad Administration (Gujarat) regarding 10 personnel trapped on rooftop near Valsad due to high rise of water level in Auranga River. The location was about 25 kms from Coast Guard Air Station, Daman and about 175 kms north of Mumbai. On receipt of the information, the air station acted swiftly and a Coast Guard Chetak helicopter was launched expeditiously within 15 minutes. Braving the strong wind conditions and inclement weather, the pilots manoeuvred the helicopter safely, reached the site and identified the stranded personnel. The helicopter crew quickly assessed the situation and also identified a safe location for shifting the stranded personnel.

Continuing with the series of search and rescue operations undertaken and coordinated by Coast Guard Western Region in last two days, the Indian Coast Guard undertook another lifesaving mission by evacuating the chief officer from vessel MT Pristine GV anchored off Mumbai. The chief officer, Indian national Gaurav Gupta, had sustained shoulder dislocation and fracture. The medical evacuation was undertaken by Coast Guard Chetak helicopter from Mumbai at about 1430 hrs on June 24. The prevailing rough weather conditions were unsuitable and all shipping/boat movements were restricted, therefore the ship’s agent contacted Coast Guard Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre (MRCC, Mumbai).

In a swift response to an SOS from a distressed offshore coastal vessel, the Indian Navy and Indian coast guard rescued 14 people from the crew of the Indian flag cement carrier ship, MV Coastal Pride, that sunk 75 nautical miles off the coast of Daman, on Wednesday morning. It was after a call by the vessel, Navy and Coast Guard swung into action to rescue 14 crew members of the vessel. What ensued was a dramatic rescue of 14 crew members. "In a swift response to an SOS from a distressed offshore coastal vessel MV Coastal Pride, navy and coast guard swung into action and rescued 14 crew members," said navy spokesperson, Captain DK Sharma was quoted as saying by NDTV.

At about 2300 hrs on 21 Jun 15 a container merchant vessel “Jindal Kamakshi” sent a distress alert. The vessel was on passage from Mundra to Kochi with 20 crew members onboard. The vessel was about 35 kms from the nearest coast and 75 kms from Mumbai. The distress was received by Coast Guard Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre (MRCC Mumbai).MRCC (MBI) immediately contacted the master of the vessel. For ascertaining the emergency onboard. MRCC (MBI) also coordinated with other merchant mariners in the vicinity MV SCI, Samudra Prabha, MV Seamac 1 and MV Kamat to render assistance to the distress vessel. In addition, the other Coast Guard ships were also alerted to provide assistance. The vessel under distress was listing 20 deg but the list was subsequently reduced to 10 deg.

Sixteen crew members were rescued by the Coast Guard after their merchant vessel ran aground near Raigad coast, on the West Coast of India, on Monday morning. According to the Coast Guard officials,at about 1120 hrs on 14 Jul 14, Coast Guard Maritime Rescue co-ordination Centre Mumbai received a distress call from M V Priyanka, relayed through port officer Revdanda, Dist. Raigad. It was informed that a 70 meters long Indian vessel was tilting precariously at approximately 3 km from the fairway buoy of the harbour. The vessel was manned by a 16-member Indian crew and was carrying 1900 mt of iron pellets. The vessel was on passage from Mumbai and had arrived Revdanda yesterday. On 14 July 2014, the vessel broke anchor and started drifting due to inclement weather.