NEW DELHI: Reaffirming its role as the Indian Ocean Region’s primary first responder, Indian Navy on Wednesday successfully evacuated a 42-year-old worker suffering from critical cardiac complications from an offshore rig.In a swift response to the medical emergency at sea, an Advanced Light Helicopter (ALH) from INS Garuda — Navy’s oldest operating air station in Kochi — successfully evacuated the worker during a mission conducted 110 km off the coast of Kerala, the Southern Naval Command said. The emergency call originated from Oil Rig Greatdrill Chaaya, located in the deep waters of the Arabian Sea.“Upon reaching the oil rig, the patient’s condition was assessed by the onboard medical team and he was airlifted to Kochi,” the southern command said on X. The helicopter landed at 7.02 am, and the patient was handed over to shore-based medical authorities for further treatment, it said. “This operation underscores the Indian Navy’s unwavering commitment to maritime safety and its readiness to render assistance during emergencies at sea with speed, precision, and professionalism,” it said.The Indian Navy has conducted such rescue operations in the past too. In June last year, INS Tabar had responded to a distress call about a major fire on board a Palau-flagged tanker in the North Arabian Sea, rescuing 14 Indian crew members and extinguishing the fire. In March 2024, INS Sumedha and INS Trishul intercepted a hijacked Iranian fishing vessel, forcing nine armed pirates to surrender and rescuing 23 Pakistani crew members after a 12-hour operation.
