Port Blair, Nov. 19: At about 0800 hrs on 14 Nov 12, information was received at HQ ANC that a Police Fast Interceptor Boat (FIB) while towing an apprehended dinghy from Ponda to Katchal had encountered heavy weather. With the tow broken down between the two boats, the boats were adrift and in need of immediate assistance. 

Indian Naval Landing Craft Utility L 33 was immediately dispatched from Nancowry for rescuing the adrift Police FIB. The ship sailed, rolling and pitching in the heavy seas and was able to locate the Police FIB and the foreign dinghy in low visibility. With great effort in the rough weather, the ship was able to recover the policemen from the dinghy to onboard their ship and thereafter took the Police FIB under tow.  The towing operation was undertaken with care and at slow speeds to ensure that the tow did not part in the rough seas.    The Police FIB was safely brought to Katchall harbour and handed over to another FIB.

Having rescued the Police personnel, the Captain of the ship took a decision to return and recover the foreign dinghy to hand it over to the Police, despite the ship being subjected to adverse conditions due to the flat bottom design.  With great difficulty, the small dinghy was located in rain and low visibility and finally it was towed to the mouth of Katchall harbour. The efforts of the ship and her crew to rescue the Police comrades in such harsh and trying conditions has been in the best traditions of the close cooperation between ANC and our valiant Police force. Cooperative efforts of this nature follows closer understanding and training amongst various government bodies and augurs well for the future.