Eastern Naval Command ship INS Airawat, a Shardul-class amphibious warfare vessel, rescued seven crew members from a distressed fishing boat, off Car Nicobar island in the Andaman area of Bay of Bengal, late on Friday.
Based on a distress call received from fishing boat Saleth Matha II, INS Airavat that was on deployment for Operation Samudra Setu-II, immediately proceeded towards the distressed fishing boat at maximum speed and rendered assistance.
The naval ship after rescuing the crew members is towing the fishing boat to the nearest harbour for shelter.
The 20-metre long fishing boat with seven crew members is based at Port Blair and was found drifting off Car Nicobar due to a major defect in the gearbox, from July 29.
Gusting winds beyond 25 knots, heavy swell and intermittent rains due to active South-West monsoon in the region, had made the search and rescue operation a challenging task for the naval personnel.
