Brave Indian Coast Guard Heroes Honored After Helicopter Tragedy
In New Delhi, the search and rescue mission for the Indian Coast Guard’s ALH helicopter, which crashed into the sea during a night medical evacuation mission last month, has concluded. The helicopter, which went down on September 2, was on a mission to rescue an injured crew member from the Motor Tanker Hari Leela. Tragically, the remains of Commandant Rakesh Kumar Rana, the Pilot in Command, were found on October 10.
Following the accident, the Indian Coast Guard launched a massive search operation. One crew member was rescued, and the remains of Commandant (JG) Vipin Babu and Pradhan Navik Karan Singh were recovered on September 3, 2024. The search continued with the help of the Indian Navy and other stakeholders to find Commandant Rakesh Kumar Rana.
Over 70 air sorties and 82 ship days were dedicated to locating the missing pilot. Sadly, his remains were found approximately 55 km southwest of Porbandar on October 10, 2024. The remains will be honored and cremated according to service traditions.
The Indian Coast Guard paid tribute to the three brave souls who sacrificed their lives in the line of duty.
Doubts Revealed
Indian Coast Guard -: The Indian Coast Guard is a branch of the Indian Armed Forces. It is responsible for protecting India’s maritime interests and enforcing maritime law.
ALH helicopter -: ALH stands for Advanced Light Helicopter. It is a type of helicopter used by the Indian Coast Guard for various missions, including search and rescue.
Medical evacuation mission -: A medical evacuation mission is when a helicopter or other vehicle is used to transport someone who is sick or injured to a hospital or medical facility quickly.
Commandant -: A Commandant is a high-ranking officer in the military or coast guard. They are responsible for leading and managing a group of soldiers or coast guard members.
Air sorties -: Air sorties are missions or flights carried out by aircraft. In this context, it means the number of times aircraft were sent out to search for the missing helicopter.
Ship days -: Ship days refer to the number of days ships were used in the search operation. It indicates how long the ships were involved in the mission.
