The Coast Guard on Wednesday termed the operation of rescuing an injured Philippines national from a UAE-bound gas carrier as 'difficult and risky', adding that the operation was carried out very professionally.
"Our maritime rescue centre at Mumbai got a call from the LNG gas carrier [Mubaraz] and we immediately directed the Goa operations headquarters to execute an operation to give medical evacuation to the sailor. When we established contact with the master of vessel Mubaraz, he said that the patient is in extreme pain and needed help," Coast Guard Deputy Inspector General Manoj Baadkar told ANI.
"We directed the master to alter course towards Goa and when the vessel came closer we launched a helicopter. When the helicopter approached the gas carrier, they found it difficult and risky to airlift the sailor, but the helicopter pilot and the air crew diver executed the operation in the most professional way, and we could save a life of a sailor in the sea," he added.
On Tuesday, the Coast Guard rescued Alberto Sariano from the vessel around 10 miles off the coast of Goa.
Coast Guard helicopters airlifted Sariano and returned to Vasco, where he was handed over to the local authorities for further medical treatment.
