The Indian Coast Guard (ICG) carried out a swift and coordinated medical evacuation of a critically ill mariner from a Liberia-flagged merchant vessel in the Bay of Bengal, rescuing him after he reportedly developed symptoms of cardiac arrest while at sea.
The operation was launched in the early hours of June 14 after the master of MV MSC Diya F, which was sailing to Colombo, Sri Lanka, sought urgent medical assistance for a crew member, A.B. Venkatesh Krishnan (39), whose condition had turned life-threatening.
At around 2 am, the Coast Guard received a distress call from the vessel reporting the medical emergency. Responding immediately, Coast Guard personnel established communication with the ship and arranged telemedicine support to provide preliminary medical guidance and stabilise the patient.
Following an assessment of the mariner’s symptoms and medical history, Coast Guard medical officers advised his immediate evacuation for advanced treatment.
An interceptor boat, ICGS C-158, specially configured for medical emergencies, was promptly deployed from Paradip. Battling rough sea conditions in the early morning hours, the vessel successfully rendezvoused with the merchant ship off the Odisha coast and safely transferred the patient onboard.
The Coast Guard team administered first aid during the return voyage and proceeded at maximum speed to Paradip Port. On reaching the port, the patient was handed over to the shipping company’s local representative for transportation to a specialised medical facility.
Officials said the timely intervention and seamless coordination helped ensure that the mariner received urgent medical attention without delay.
The operation once again highlighted the Indian Coast Guard’s capability to respond swiftly to emergencies at sea and its unwavering commitment to safeguarding life in the country’s maritime domain, even under challenging weather and sea conditions.