Coast Guard rescues foreign yacht with 2 people on board in Lakshwadeep
Louise, a yacht sailing from Port Victoria in Seychelles to Abu Dhabi with two crew members on board, was rescued by Indian Coast Guard ship Samarth off Kavaratti island in Lakshadweep on Friday.
Louise, a yacht sailing from Port Victoria in Seychelles to Abu Dhabi on its maiden voyage with two crew members, was rescued by Indian Coast Guard ship Samarth off Kavaratti island in Lakshadweep in the early hours on Friday.
On investigation by the Indian Coast Guard ship, it was revealed that 38-feet-long yacht "Lousie", on its maiden voyage from Port Victoria, Seychelles to Abu Dhabi, had suffered total power failure on board and had been drifting on the Arabian Sea since August 2.
- Coast Guard ship Samarth located the yacht at around 0130 hours on August 4, about 25 km south-east of Kavaratti Island.
- The yacht had no communication and propulsion system to assess the power failure and the crew braved rough seas for almost 48 hours awaiting help.
- Strong winds of 35 knots and a heavy swell of 4-5 meters made the rescue operations very difficult. Efforts to take the yacht under tow proved futile.
- The ship braving the rough seas, however, managed to pick up the 2 crew members - both South African nationals on board.
- Master Gavin Stephen, 25, and Marnu Christoff, 21, are safe onboard. The owner of the yacht is Mr. Gregory Pecker, who lives in Abu Dhabi.
- The ship is presently in the area to undertake towing operation at the first available opportunity.
- This is the second such operation this monsoon. It was on June 17 when 3 lives on board Yacht "Lady Thuraya" were saved almost 1100 km from the coast on the fringes of Indian Search and Rescue Region (ISRR).
Also read |
Odisha: Indian Coast Guard joins rescue operations, drops relief materials in flood-affected areas
Panjim: Indian Coast Guard evacuates four ailing crew members from MV Lucky Seven
ALSO WATCH VIDEO | Mid-sea rescue: Indian Coast Guard rescues 11 of sunken ship in Port Blair