Oman ship rescues 19 crew members from sinking vessel

Muscat: Asyad Group’s vessel, Wadi Bani Khalid, collaborated with the Indian Coast Guard to rescue 19 crew members of ‘MT Barth’, a ship that was sinking off the coast of Ratnagiri.

The ill-fated merchant ship, measuring 102 metres long and carrying 3,911 tonnes of bitumen was in transit from the city of Mangalore in the Indian state of Karnataka to the port of Khor Fakkan of the Emirate of Sharjah on Sea of Oman.

MT Barth drowned 41 nautical miles west of the Ratnagiri coast. As soon as the Wadi Bani Khalid ship received the distress call, it responded immediately and rushed to rescue the crew of the sinking ship, in the face of such harsh navigational conditions as sea turbulence and strong winds.

Spokesperson of the Indian Coast Guard explained in a press release that while on regular patrols in the area, the guard received a distress call from ‘MT Parth’ and immediately sent a request for assistance to nearby commercial ships. Asyad Group’s Wadi Bani Khalid ship quickly responded by providing a helping hand, ensuring that all the sinking ship's crew was rescued and transported to receive necessary medical care and take other necessary official procedures.

Commenting on the incident, the captain of Wadi Bani Khaled ship said: “After we received the distress call, we headed towards the nearest safe distance from the sinking ship and began lowering the rescue boat. The crew members who were asked to jump into the water and swim away from the stricken ship as soon as possible, were all saved into the rescue boat.’’

He went on to say that the crew's ongoing training has played a significant role in providing various rescue services that meet the highest maritime HSE standards.

Bani Khaled ship was recently recognized by the Automated Mutual-Assistance Vessel Rescue, AMVER, a computer-based global ship-reporting system sponsored by the United States Coast Guard that aims at preserving the safety of life and property at sea.

The mission of AMVER is to provide Search and Rescue authorities on demand with accurate information on the positions and characteristics of distressed vessels, making the maritime sector safer.