New Delhi: In a coordinated sea-air operation, the Coast Guard on Wednesday rescued an Indian fishing boat, which was in a critical condition due to flooding from a hull rupture, with 11 crew onboard off the Kerala coast, amid heavy rain and challenging weather conditions.

An ICG Dornier aircraft on maritime surveillance had located the distressed Indian fishing boat (IFB) on the night of July 16, the Defence Ministry said in a statement. "The vessel was in a critical condition due to flooding from a hull rupture near the keel and loss of propulsion, which posed a threat to the safety of the crew," the ministry said.

In a coordinated sea-air operation, the Indian Coast Guard successfully rescued the stranded IFB 'Aashni', about 80 nautical miles from Kochi, amid heavy rain and challenging weather conditions, the statement said. Patrolling ICG ship 'Saksham' was immediately diverted by the ICG district headquarters no. 4 (Kerala & Mahe) to assist the vessel.

"To bolster the efforts, another ICG ship 'Abhinav' was deployed, along with an advanced light helicopter to rescue the crew. A technical ICG team embarked onto the distressed boat, carried out de-flooding operations, and provided necessary assistance. The operation culminated with the rescue of all crew members, and the vessel," the statement said. The boat was subsequently handed over to the fisheries department.