INS Sumedha rescues 13 Indian crew members who were stranded near Somali coast

INS Sumedha, the third Saryu class patrol vessel of the Indian Navy is presently on Anti-Piracy Patrol in the Gulf of Aden and it rescued 13 Indian crew members of a private vessel which was in distress.

According to the official site of the Indian Navy, a boarding team with a naval technical team embarked Al-Hamid for routine checks onboard and render assistance. The technical team assessment further revealed that a traditional wooden vessel known as 'Dhow' had suffered a broken engine shaft after which it was towed to safety away from Somali coast. 

The official site stated, "A traditional wooden vessel known as Al-Hamid was detected on January 6 by an Indian Navy helicopter launched from the deck of INS Sumedha, which confirmed that the vessel was in distress and drifting near the coast of Somalia.”

The Indian Navy official further stated that the Dhow was towed as it was not repairable at sea. The owner of the Dhow Al-Hamid, however, had sent another vessel for towing and INS Sumedha provided fresh water and medical supplies to the crew of the dhow. 

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'Maha-Navy Connect 2020'

While INS Sumedha provided humanitarian assistance to stranded vessel near Somali coast, the Indian Navy on January 5 launched an expedition to promote the heritage of Indian Navy and to spread awareness about Coastal Security amongst the coastal communities in Maharashtra.

The tri-dimensional expedition named Maha-Navy Connect 2020 was flagged off by Vice Admiral Ajith Kumar P, PVSM, AVSM, VSM, ADC, the Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief and the Western Naval Command. The expedition consists of yachting, running and cycling teams of 50 naval staff along three different axes.

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According to reports, the expedition which will continue till January 11 will cover more than 555km, stretching from Arnala fort, which is the northernmost fort of Maharashtra to Sindhudurg fort, the southernmost fort of Maharashtra. The teams will also visit many schools and local institutions to interact with locals and students.

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