Four-member crew rescued by Indian Navy after 17 days

The Indian Navy saved a four-member crew, 17 days after the boat they were travelling in drifted out into the sea following engine failure. They were without food and water for the entire duration as they had even lost contact with coastal authorities. The owners of the boat had informed the authorities about the boat going missing after it lost communication.

M Nambiar, chief public relations officer (defence) said the Indian naval ship INS Vindhyagiri spotted the boat ML Kartiki in the early hours of Tuesday.
“They were immediately provided with food, water and medicine,” Nambiar said, adding that the crew would be brought to shore by Wednesday.
He said INS Vindhyagiri spotted the boat 270 nautical miles west of the Mumbai coast during a patrol and then acted quickly after learning of the crew’s plight.
“They (the launch crew) set sail from Mumbai port to Mundhra port in Gujarat and had been adrift since November 27,” Nambiar said.
The crew, Bolim Ahmad, Dinesh, Madhavan and Ismail, have been handed over to the Indian Coast Guard and who will bring them to shore, a press note said. Nambiar said that the trip to Mundhra does not take more 4-5 days and in all likelihood, the crew must have run out of its food and water.
“They were saved in time else they would have met a watery grave,” Nambiar added.