Mangaluru: The Indian Coast Guard has issued an advisory to the fishing community, coastal population and tourists not to stray into the sea for the next 48 hours, as the sea has become dangerous due to the effect of Cyclone Ockhi.
The advisory comes after two vessels, Al-Noor and Jevar Hussain, capsized and 14 crew members were rescued on December 1 near the Kavaratti Island in the Lakshadweep.
The note also stated that the merchant ships should be alert and avoid the path of Cyclone Ockhi. Various Naval, Coast Guard ships and aircraft are patrolling the seas to render search and rescue services. It also requested merchant ships and fishing boats to assist each other, so that precious lives could be saved on time. Fishing boats should remain in groups and during distress, all the crew should remain together and act according to the buddy system.
The type of distress, position, time, type of vessel/boat, vessel colour, name, number of crew and their medical condition, and status of the machinery/hull condition of the distressed vessel/boat should be relayed urgently and repeated at regular intervals. Any distress to life at sea must be conveyed by using all possible means like radio telephony Channel 16, mobile phone, DAT (Distress Alert Transmitter), INMARSAT (International Maritime Satellite System), EPIRB (Emergency Position Indicating Radio Beacon), and SART (Search and Rescue Transponder).
