Tampa, June 15: The U.S. Navy played a crucial role in rescuing 14 Indian sailors from a sinking vessel in the northern Arabian Sea on Sunday. The Indian-flagged mechanized sailing vessel, ‘Virat 1’, sank due to engine failure, prompting a swift rescue operation to save the crew members.
According to information shared by the U.S. Department of Defense, a distress call was made by the stranded sailors around 2 PM EST (12:30 AM IST). Following this, a U.S. Navy P-8 aircraft was the first to arrive at the scene.
The Navy deployed a search and rescue kit, which included a life raft that accommodated all 14 sailors. The MV Jabal Ali 9 arrived later and successfully rescued eleven crew members from the raft.
However, the raft carrying the remaining three crew members capsized. They were subsequently rescued by an MH-60 Seahawk helicopter assigned to the USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN 72). All three sailors were then transported to the MV Jabal Ali 9.
The USS Michael Murphy (DDG 112), an Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer, also responded to the distress call from the Indian sailors. The operational area of the U.S. 5th Fleet encompasses approximately 2.5 million square miles of water, including the Arabian Gulf, Gulf of Oman, Red Sea, parts of the Indian Ocean, and crucial chokepoints such as the Strait of Hormuz, Suez Canal, and Bab al-Mandeb.
The Indian Embassy confirmed the successful completion of the rescue operation, stating, “All 14 crew members of the MSV Virat 1 have been rescued and are currently aboard the MV Jabal Ali 9 heading to Mumbai. The crew members are safe and in good health.”
Recently, commercial vessels carrying Indian crew members faced attacks off the coast of Oman, resulting in casualties among Indian sailors. In response, the Ministry of External Affairs summoned the U.S. Ambassador twice within 48 hours.
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