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A tragic incident involving a Coast Guard Dhruv advanced light helicopter (ALH Mk-III) has unfolded in the Arabian Sea near Porbandar, leaving one pilot missing despite intensive search and rescue operations. The helicopter, carrying four personnel, including two pilots and two flight divers, went down on Monday night. While the bodies of Deputy Commandant Vipin Babu, the other pilot, and diver Karan Singh were recovered on Tuesday, Commandant Rakesh Rana, the commanding officer of the Porbandar-based 835 Squadron and the missing pilot, remains unaccounted for.
The Coast Guard has mobilized ships and aircraft to locate the missing pilot, escalating search and rescue efforts. The incident has also prompted a comprehensive safety inspection of the entire ALH fleet, with a specific focus on flying controls and transmission systems. As a precautionary measure, the fleet has been temporarily grounded pending the outcome of the inspection. The Coast Guard operates a fleet of 16 ALHs, all designed and developed by Hindustan Aeronautics Limited.
The ill-fated helicopter was deployed on Monday night for a medical evacuation mission in response to an emergency onboard a tanker. However, 15 minutes into the mission, at approximately 11.15 pm, the helicopter ditched into the sea. 'Ditching' refers to an emergency landing of an aircraft in water. Notably, this same helicopter was recently involved in rescue and relief operations in the aftermath of devastating floods in Gujarat.