3 Coast Guard crew missing as chopper makes Hard landing in Arabian Sea

Mangalore Today News Network

New Delhi, September 3, 2024: Three Indian Coast Guard (ICG) crew members are missing after a helicopter, which was deployed to rescue an injured crew member from a tanker in the Arabian Sea, had to make an emergency landing on Monday.

The ICG said an advanced light helicopter was deployed at 11 pm to evacuate a "seriously injured crew" onboard the Motor Tanker Hari Leela, about 45 kilometers from Gujarat’s Porbandar into the sea.

The helicopter with four crew members was forced to make an "emergency hard landing" and was ditched into the sea during the operation, the ICG said.

"One crew has been recovered and a search for the remaining three is in progress. Aircraft wreckage has been located," the Coast Guard said.

Four ships and two aircraft have been deployed for rescue efforts, it said.

The incident comes days after the Coast Guard was involved in rescue and relief operations in rain-ravaged parts of Gujarat.

Apart from the ICG, the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and its state counterpart SDRF, the Indian Army, and the Indian Air Force relocated more than 17,000 people from flood-affected areas.