Visakhapatnam : Based on distress call received from fishing boat Saleth Matha II off Carnicobar, Andaman and Nicobar Islands late on Friday night, INS Airavat on deployment for Ops Samudra Setu-II, immediately proceeded towards the distressed fishing boat at maximum speed and rendered assistance.
The ship is presently towing the fishing boat to the nearest harbour for shelter, Navy said in a release here on Saturday.
The 20 metres in length fishing boat with seven crew members is based at Port Blair was drifting off Carnicobar due to a major defect in the gearbox on July 29.
Gusting winds beyond 25 knots, heavy swell and intermittent rains due to active southwest monsoon in the region made the connecting up the towing arrangements task extremely challenging, the release added.
UNI
