Indian navy rescues 2 crew members stranded in floating dock

The Indian Navy today rescued two crew members stranded inside a floating dock, which got grounded off Thottappally beach in Alappuzha district, a Defence spokesman said here today.

The floating dry dock, Al Fattan, coming from Sabang in Indonesia and headed to Abu Dhabi had got grounded off Thottappally beach two days ago.

It belongs to a firm based in Abu Dhabi.

There was a request for assistance with rescue of two crew members stranded inside.

An Advanced Light Helicopter (ALH) from Indian Naval Air Squadron 322 was launched by Southern Naval Command to evacuate the Indonesian crew members.

They were brought to INS Garuda and handed over to Coast Guard and civil administration for immigration formalities, the spokesman said.

He said the rescue operation was not easy due to the prevailing adverse weather conditions.

Strong winds and rain were a major impediment in operations at sea.

The spokesman also said the operation was "an example of jointmanship" as the rescue operation was carried out on the request of Coast Guard.

Carrying out the immigration formalities is the responsibility of Coast Guard, he said.

Meanwhile, Customs Commissioner Sumit Kumar said the Customs preventive unit at Kollam has recovered a satellite phone from a tug which had towed the floating dry dock.

Further investigation is on, he said.

"The satellite phone was recovered from a crew member," he told PTI.

The Coast Guard had earlier intimated the Customs about the satellite phone.

The tug, after detaching from the floating dry dock following the rope connecting them snapping, had been floating in the sea off Kollam coast.

There were reportedly seven crew members on board the tug.

It was brought to the Kollam coast using another tug of the Port Department.