Indian Coast Guard rescues critically-ill seafarer from Liberian carrier MT Babylon

The Indian Coast Guard (ICG) announced a successful rescue operation on Saturday, saving a 52-year-old Indian seafarer who suffered an acute cerebrovascular accident (CVA) or stroke aboard the MT Babylon, a Liberian-flagged Very Large Crude Carrier (VLCC).

The incident occurred approximately 350 nautical miles (NM) away from the Indian shores.

Indian Coast Guard (Region West) spearheaded the rescue operation in collaboration with the Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre (MRCC) based in Mumbai and the Indian Navy. The joint effort ensured the timely medical evacuation of the critically-ill seafarer.

In a detailed post on social media platform X, the Indian Coast Guard stated, "IndianCoastGuard (Region West) coordinated a Rescue Operation undertaken jointly by MRCC(MBI) & Indian Navy, resulting in the successful Medical Evacuation of a 52-year-old Indian Seafarer."

The Indian Coast Guard elaborated that the patient experienced an acute CVA/stroke while onboard the MT Babylon, which was operating under the Liberian flag. The vessel was situated about 350 nautical miles away from the Indian coastline at the time of the medical emergency.

It said that immediate action was taken to address the critical condition of the seafarer.

Upon successful rescue, the patient was promptly transferred to a nearby hospital for urgent medical attention, it said in the post on X.

The Indian Coast Guard has reported that the patient's condition remains critical, underscoring the severity of the stroke suffered.

This recent operation follows another significant rescue mission carried out by the Indian Coast Guard on October 30 this year.

The Maritime Rescue Sub Centre (MRSC) Porbandar coordinated the medical evacuation of an unconscious and critically-ill crew member from the fishing boat Madhuram.

The vessel was located approximately 90 kms from Pipavav, near the west coast of Gujarat.

The Indian Coast Guard deployed the ICG Interceptor Boat C-409 for the rescue operation. After successfully evacuating the crew member, the Indian Coast Guard handed over the patient to the Fisheries Authorities for further medical management and care.

--IANS

rs/rad