In a release, the Navy said it was found that a crew member of the dhow had sustained severe injuries to his fingers while working on the engine and was in critical condition and that he had been transferred to another dhow, FV Abdul Rehman Hanzia, which was en route to Iran.
The Indian Navy’s frontline warship INS Trikand sprang into action to provide urgent medical assistance to a Pakistani crew member in the Central Arabian Sea. As per the Navy, the incident occurred on Friday (April 4) when the stealth frigate, currently deployed on a mission in the region, intercepted a distress call from an Iranian fishing dhow named Al Omeedi.
The vessel was operating nearly 350 nautical miles off the Oman coast when the alert was received. Acting promptly, the crew of INS Trikand investigated the call and discovered that a sailor onboard the dhow had suffered severe injuries to his fingers while working on the engine. Due to the critical nature of the injury, the crew member had already been transferred to another Iranian fishing vessel, FV Abdul Rehman Hanzia, which was heading towards Iran.
What Indian Navy said?
“Trikand immediately altered her course to provide medical assistance to the injured crew member. The crew of FV Abdul Rehman Hanzia consisted of 11 Pakistani (nine Baloch and two Sindhi) and five Iranian personnel. The injured Pakistani (Baloch) national had suffered multiple fractures and severe hand injuries, resulting in heavy blood loss,” the Navy said.
The medical officer of INS Trikand, along with a team comprising MARCOS (Marine Commandos) and the ship’s boarding team, boarded the vessel to administer aid, it said. After administering local anaesthesia, the ship’s medical team performed suturing and splinting on the injured fingers, and the surgical procedure, which lasted for over three hours, was completed, it said, Bleeding was controlled in time, thereby preventing potential permanent loss of the injured fingers due to gangrene, the Navy said.
“Additionally, medical supplies, including antibiotics, were provided to the vessel to ensure the crew’s well-being until they reached Iran. The entire crew expressed their deep gratitude to the Indian Navy for the timely assistance in saving their crewmate’s life,” the Navy added.
(With inputs from PTI)
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