Ranjit Mahanti
AT about 11.20 hrs on July 14, 2014, Coast Guard Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre Mumbai {MRCC (MBI)} received a distress call from Motor Vessel (MV) Priyanka, relayed through port officer Revdanda, District Raigad. It was informed that a 70 meters long Indian vessel was tilting precariously at approximately 3 kilometer from the fairway buoy of the harbour.
According to Navy officials the vessel was manned by16 Indian crew and was carrying 1900 metric tons of iron pellets. The vessel was on passage from Mumbai and had arrived Revdanda yesterday. On July 14, 2014 the vessel broke anchor and started drifting due to inclement weather. After some time the vessel tilted dangerously to port.
Sensing the emergency of the situation Coast Guard Chetak helicopter from Mumbai was launched at 1200 hrs for rescue of the stranded crew. The coast guard helicopter arrived on scene by 1215 hrs and started winching the crew from the distressed vessel to safe location onshore. The air crew rescue diver and the pilots of the helicopter braved the inclement weather, incessant rains and high speed wind to rescue 11 of 16 crew. Later on investigation, it was confirmed that five crew had used the life raft of the vessel and abandoned the ship when the vessel tilted dangerously to one side. All the crews were safely handed over to the local administration by 1245 hrs. The abandoned vessel is being monitored and all relevant agencies have been alerted for necessary action