On August 26, 2024, the Indian Coast Guard (ICG) successfully rescued 11 crew members from the distressed MV ITT Puma during a demanding night-time Search and Rescue operation. The Mumbai-registered cargo vessel, en route from Kolkata to Port Blair, sank approximately 90 nautical miles south of Sagar Island, West Bengal.
The Maritime Search & Rescue Coordination Centre (MRCC) Chennai received a distress signal late on August 25, 2024. In response, the ICG’s Regional Headquarters (North East) in Kolkata quickly dispatched two ICG vessels and a Dornier aircraft to the scene. Equipped with advanced night-vision sensors, the Dornier aircraft located adrift life rafts and spotted survival red flares from the crew.
Guided by the aircraft, the ICG ships Sarang and Amogh reached the area where they found two life rafts tied together, with the survivors onboard. Despite challenging weather conditions, the coordinated efforts of the ICG vessels and the Dornier aircraft ensured the safe rescue of the crew in the late hours of August 25 and the early hours of August 26.
