International - India & World   

11 Indian sailors rescued

DUBAI: Displaying heroism, the Ukrainian Captain of a merchant ship has rescued 11 Indian sailors in stormy conditions in the high seas.

On February 2, the Ukrainian Captain of MV Sinar Riau, Y. Avtushchenko, responded to a distress call from MV Al Bilal — a wooden dhow caught up in rough weather in the Arabian Sea. The SOS was sent out after its engine failed and water began to flood the dhow.

Capt. Avtushchenko tried to land life rafts close to the vessel. But when the rafts themselves began to sink because of inclement weather, the Captain pulled the sailors to safety and boarded them on his ship, disregarding the grave danger to his life.

Diplomatic sources told The Hindu that three ships had picked the SOS call from MV Bilal. Of these, a Panamanian ship, which had a more powerful radio receiver, coordinated the rescue operation with Capt. Avtushchenko.

On February 5, MV Sinar Riau docked at Dubai’s Jebel Ali port.

Printer friendly page  
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Stories in this Section

Hu offers helping hand to soldiers in relief work
Scene fluid in U.S.
Forces closing in on LTTE in Wanni, says Colombo
High Court quashes extortion case against Hasina
Berlusconi set for April comeback
New Newseum
WHO warns of billion deaths from tobacco
Overseas doctors to be barred from training in U.K.
11 Indian sailors rescued

Copyright © 2008, The Hindu. Republication or redissemination of the contents of this screen are expressly prohibited without the written consent of The Hindu