The Indian Coast Guard rescued five people from a Swiss-flagged yacht in distress off Mandwa in Alibaug, in Raigad coast.
The news of the rescue was posted by the Indian Coast guard, along with a video on their Twitter account.
According to the tweet, “braving strong winds, heavy rains and rough seas,” the Indian Coast Guard (ICG) ship Agrim, and a helicopter rescued the five-member crew—which included foreign nationals—were rescued from the yacht Poorima, which bore the Switzerland flag, that had raised a ‘May Day’ request following a fire on board.
Poorima was on its way from the United Arab Emirates to Maldives, and had arrived off Mandwa on June 28 for necessary repairs.
The yacht raised an SOS in the wee hours of Friday after a fire in the battery compartment.
The ICG immediately diverted fast patrol vessels, including its ship Agrim, which reached the spot within an hour. By then, the yacht had drifted into shallow water and there was an imminent threat of sinking.
The ICG launched a chopper at first light which undertook the rescue. “Five persons including four foreigners were rescued,” officials said.
They were airlifted to Thal helipad and moved to hospital for check-up.
The ICG’s tweet also informed, “All crew safe and healthy.”
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