Indian Coast Guard rescues 31 fishermen from distressed boat in Arabian Sea

The Indian Coast Guard (ICG) on October 25, 2025, rescued 31 fishermen from a distressed fishing boat IFB (Indian Fishing Boat) Sant Anton-I which was adrift within the Arabian Sea, roughly 100 nautical miles off New Mangaluru, for 11 days on account of a steering gear failure.

Karnataka unit of the Coast Guard headquartered in Mangaluru launched a Search and Rescue (SAR) operation after receiving info on Friday (October 24), concerning the lacking vessel which was primarily based in Goa. The fishing boat was final reported roughly 100 nautical miles off New Mangaluru, the Coast Guard stated in a launch on Sunday (October 26, 2025).

Sea-air rescue

Indian Coast Guard Ship (ICGS) Kasturba Gandhi, which was on routine patrol, was instantly diverted to the final recognized place of the distressed vessel. Simultaneously, a Coast Guard Dornier plane from Kochi was tasked for aerial search to find the lacking boat, which had drifted considerably on account of opposed climate situations.

“Leveraging built-in operations centre and actual time climate information, the Coast Guard plotted the possible drift and directed the ship to the up to date location. The Dornier plane efficiently sighted the fishing boat on October 25, enabling ICGS Kasturba Gandhi to achieve the spot and supply vital help, together with logistics assist, harm evaluation, and on-site restore of the steering system and guaranteeing watertight integrity of the IFB,” the discharge stated.

After stabilising the vessel, the Coast Guard ship handed over the misery IFB Sant Anton-I to a different IFB to be towed safely to Honnavar fishing harbour, in Uttara Kannada district, guaranteeing the nicely being of all 31 crew members onboard.

“This swift and coordinated sea-air rescue operation, executed underneath difficult climate situations, underscores the Indian Coast Guard’s unwavering dedication to safeguarding lives and guaranteeing security at sea,” the discharge added.