On Tuesday, the Pakistan Navy successfully rescued seven crew members from a distressed offshore vessel in the Arabian Sea. The rescue operation followed a distress signal received from the vessel MV Gautam, which included six Indian nationals and one Indonesian sailor among its crew.
The military’s media wing highlighted the Pakistan Navy’s swift and vigilant response, emphasizing its dedication to international maritime obligations. The MV Gautam had suffered a severe technical malfunction while traveling from Oman to India, leaving it stranded at sea.
Upon receiving the alert from the Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre (MRCC) Mumbai, the Pakistan Navy deployed the PMSA Ship Kashmir to assist the vessel. The rescue team provided food, medical support, and technical aid to help restore critical systems and ensure the safety of the crew members.
This mission reflects the Pakistan Navy’s commitment to maritime safety and humanitarian duties, regardless of nationality, and demonstrates its preparedness to handle emergencies in regional waters.
In recent years, the Pakistan Navy has conducted multiple rescue and evacuation operations involving distressed merchant vessels and fishing boats as part of its maritime safety mandate. Notably, in April, the Navy rescued and evacuated 18 crew members from the merchant vessel Gold Autumn in the North Arabian Sea. The PNS Hunain responded to the distress call approximately 200 nautical miles off Pakistan’s coast.
During that operation, the naval team provided medical assistance, firefighting support, damage assessment, and successfully rescued the crew, which included nationals from China, Bangladesh, Myanmar, Vietnam, and Indonesia. The rescued sailors were transported to Karachi for medical treatment and repatriation to their home countries.
