Navy pilots rescue 34 lives since June 22

Braving hostile weather, Navy helicopter pilots have saved 34 lives since the past two days around the Mumbai harbour.
While on June 22, Navy rescued 20 people on board a listing merchant ship off Vasai coast in neighbouring Palghar district, Navy and Coast Guard helicopters today rescued 14 crew members of a vessel, which sank off the Mumbai coast.
The pilots braved difficult weather to rescue those stuck on board the two vessels, a senior Navy official said explaining the operation undertaken today.
But for the Naval pilots, the rescue missions are an everyday job.
Leading from the front on June 22 was Commander Gosavi Kaustubh Vijaykumar, a Nao Sena Medal (Gallantry) awardee and also a Shaurya Chakra winner.

Despite, facing a wind speed of nearly 100 km an hour, Vijaykumar flew in his Sea King chopper and rescued the stranded crew of 'Jindal Kamakshi', a merchant vessel which was 40 nautical miles from Mumbai harbour and 25 nautical miles off Vasai coast.
The two pilots who carried out the rescue operation today was Commander Sanjay Shukla and Commander Naveen Thapa, also a Nao Sena Medal winner.