Ahmedabad: The Indian Coast Guard on Sunday evacuated a 21-year-old seafarer from a merchant vessel off the Porbandar coast after he developed acute chest pain and a high fever, officials said.The operation began on the night of July 25 after the Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre (MRCC), Mumbai, alerted Coast Guard District Headquarters No. 1 in Porbandar that a crew member aboard the merchant vessel MT Murlikisan required urgent medical attention.The Coast Guard launched a search-and-rescue operation. Owing to rough sea conditions, evacuation in open waters was not possible. Officials coordinated with Porbandar port authorities to allow the vessel to enter the inner anchorage. The ship anchored about 2.1 nautical miles off the breakwater on Sunday forenoon.However, the vessel could not berth at the Gujarat Maritime Board jetty due to adverse sea conditions and port regulations. As the weather deteriorated later in the day, the Coast Guard deployed an advanced light helicopter, which airlifted the patient from the vessel and brought him ashore.After landing at the Coast Guard Air Enclave in Porbandar, the seafarer was examined by a Coast Guard medical officer before being shifted to Asha Hospital for further treatment. Officials said he was in a stable condition.
