The mystery surrounding the sinking of the vessel MV Ocean Winner, located in the deep sea roughly 240 nautical miles away from the Paradip port in Odisha, continues to intensify. A total of 24 crew members were onboard the ship, comprising 20 nationals from China, 3 from Myanmar, and 1 from Bangladesh. While two of these individuals were rescued earlier, there is still no trace of the remaining 22 people. During the search operations, the discovery of a lifeboat briefly raised hopes, but it turned out to be completely empty from the inside. Despite this setback, rescue agencies have not called off the operation and are relentlessly combing a massive expanse of the sea. The Indian Coast Guard has widened the scope of the search and rescue mission by deploying additional vessels and incorporating merchant ships passing through the vicinity.
Emergency Beacon and Lifeboat Discovered
While the search for the missing crew was underway, the Coast Guard ship Varad was continuously patrolling the designated marine sector. Amidst this, a naval aircraft conducting aerial surveillance picked up a distress transmission. Subsequently, search teams located an emergency beacon. Upon verification, it was identified as being linked to the MV Ocean Winner. This finding prompted authorities to intensify the search operations in the region.
Empty Lifeboat Leaves Authorities Puzzled
On August 25 at around 7 am, a lifeboat belonging to the sunken ship was spotted within the search zone. The boarding team of the Coast Guard promptly reached the lifeboat and inspected it. However, the initial relief quickly turned into dismay as no living person was found inside. At present, it remains unclear how the lifeboat reached that location and why the missing crew members were separated from it.
Indian agencies engaged in the rescue operation are in close contact with MRCC Beijing. Furthermore, additional vessels from the Indian Coast Guard are being deployed to the mission. Other merchant ships currently navigating the waters are also assisting in the search for the missing crew, ensuring that multiple directions of the vast search area are thoroughly covered.
Multi-Agency Rescue Effort Continues
The vessel's operator, Victory Star Group, had initially appealed for assistance following the incident. In response, the Maritime Rescue Coordination Center immediately activated the international search and rescue network and diverted a merchant vessel, MT Aisopos, stationed nearby to aid in the rescue. This ship successfully rescued two crew members using two separate liferafts at around 8 pm.
To further bolster the search operation, Coast Guard ships Varad and Anmol were deployed, while ICGS Vijit was dispatched from Sri Vijaya Puram to reinforce the mission. Although the recovery of the lifeboat and the emergency beacon has provided vital clues, locating the missing individuals remains a daunting challenge. Rescue teams are persistently operating in the area amidst adverse sea conditions and a vast search radius.
