Indian Coast Guard evacuates Sri Lankan fisherman with heart ailment

The Indian Coast Guard on Friday evacuated a Sri Lankan fisherman who developed a life-threatening heart condition after his boat drifted to Indian waters due to engine failure.

It was on April 1 that the Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre (MRCC) of the Indian Coast Guard at Chennai received a distress alert from MRCC Colombo about the Sri Lankan Fishing Vessel (SLFV) 'Kalpeni' that was suspected to be adrift at sea due to a snag in the engine.

"MRCC Colombo intimated that the boat had set sail from 'Codbay' fishing harbour in Sri Lanka on March 22, 2024, with six crew members. The boat had ceased all communication from March 28.

MRCC Colombo intimated that the boat was likely to have entered Indian waters due to prevailing wind and drift patterns," according to a Defence release.

On receiving this information, the Indian Coast Guard diverted its ships to the likely area and also requested adjacent merchant vessels to look out for the Sri Lankan boat.

The Sri Lankan boat was sighted by ICG ship C-449 on April 2 about 40 nautical miles from Puducherry harbour. Following that, the technical crew from the ICG ship boarded the Sri Lankan boat and attempted to repair the engine.

The crew of the ICG ship ascertained the status of essential supplies such as food and water on the boat. Meanwhile, Sri Lankan authorities were informed of the position of the Sri Lankan fishing boat and were requested to arrange for a tow to take it back to the base port.

"The Sri Lankan boat was kept under watch and the health of the crew was routinely monitored by the Indian Coast Guard. On April 5, it was reported that one crew member from a Sri Lankan fishing boat, namely PM Sumit Lalitha, aged 44, had developed shortness of breath and was suspected to have a life-threatening heart condition. By this time, the boat had drifted to about 60 nautical miles from Chennai," the release read.

The Indian Coast Guard immediately launched its ship, ICGS Rani Abakka, towards the boat and the patient was evacuated within a few hours.

Once on the ICG ship, the patient was given basic medical treatment, and an advanced light helicopter (ALH) was launched by ICG from the squadron based in Chennai.

The ICG helicopter successfully airlifted the patient from the ICG ship deep at sea and he was brought to the Coast Guard air station in Chennai. After an initial medical examination, the patient was taken for hospitalisation in Chennai.

The Indian Coast Guard continues to be in close communication with the drifting Sri Lankan boat as well as Sri Lankan authorities so that it can be towed back to the base port at the earliest.

Meanwhile, in recent past, the Indian Coast Guard has undertaken many such successful medical evacuations from deep sea, both on the east as well as on the west coast of India, in keeping with its motto, "We Protect."