Indian Coast Guard evacuates American patient from cruise vessel near Mumbai

Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], January 19 : The Indian Coast Guard on Thursday safely evacuated a 65-year-old American patient from MV World Odessey, a cruise vessel with 175 passengers on its way to Kenya.
James Douglas Shirley was reported with a retinal displacement and required urgent hospitalization for surgery.
Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre Mumbai (MRCC) received an evacuation request when MV World Odessey was about 230 Nautical miles from Mumbai.
In response, ICG ship C-439 was dispatched with a medical team and the patient was safely evacuated and handed over to the vessel's agent for further medical management at Global Hospital.
"The successful operation and seamless coordination of Maritime Search and Rescue in the Indian Search and Rescue Region by ICG Units and MRCC reaffirm ICGs capabilities as a nodal coordinating agency for M-SAR in the Indian Ocean Region in line with its commitment to the motto - We Protect," a press release stated.
In another incident, the Indian Coast Guard rescued about 511 pilgrims of Gangasagar Mela stranded at sea in two different ferries, off Kakdwip in West Bengal on Monday.
Two passenger ferries carrying 500-600 pilgrims from Gangasagar were stranded in the sea due to fog and low tide.
According to the official statement, Coast Guard District Headquarters No 8, Haldia was intimated by District Magistrate, South 24 Parganas about the grounding of two ferries at sea near Kakdwip at 9:15 am on Monday. The ferry vessels namely MV Lcchamati and MV Agramati, were ferrying about 600 pilgrims from Gangasagar Mela at Sagar Island to Kakdwip.
Upon receipt of the information, the operations team of the Coast Guard swung into action and immediately dispatched two Air Cushion Vehicles (Hovercraft) from Haldia and Frazerganj to provide rescue assistance.