Missing Dhoni ‘Rankuri’ rescued by Indian Navy

Friday, September 21st, 2012

Article Tools

‘Rankuri’, the Dhoni, which had been missing off the Maldivian coast, has been finally traced and rescued by the Indian Naval Ship ‘Shardul’ yesterday afternoon.

The Maldives authorities had launched a Search and Rescue operation to locate the missing Maldivian dhoani ‘Rankuri’. The dhoani had gone missing in the afternoon of 17th September in the vicinity of Huvadhu Atoll. Rankuri is a 95 feet dhoani and had four Maldivian personnel onboard when it went missing.

The Government of Maldives had requested Indian Navy for assistance in the evening of 19th September to search Rankuri. The Indian Navy responded promptly and diverted Indian Naval Ship ‘Shardul’ which was carrying out surveillance in the Maldives EEZ. The Indian Navy had also kept a surveillance aircraft standby for search.

Indian Naval Ship ‘INS Shardul’, which is a landing ship used for amphibious operations and carries a helicopter, reached the last known position of ‘Rankuri’ in the afternoon of 20th September. The ship deployed its helicopter to search for Rankuri which was located by the helicopter in the evening around 5 PM. A team from INS Shardul accompanied by MNDF personnel, who were onboard Shardul, embarked Rankuri.

The ship provided all the assistance to Rankuri and gave food, water and fuel to Rankuri. Rankuri was thereafter escorted by the Indian Naval Ship close to its destination.

The rescue of ‘Rankuri’ was a precise operation and marks a significant success of the continuing cooperation between MNDF and Indian Navy.

Skip to News

« back