Pakistan Navy rescues Indian, Indonesian sailors from distressed vessel in Arabian Sea

• ISPR says vessel suffered a critical technical failure while en route from Oman to India, leaving it stranded at sea

 RAWALPINDI: The Pakistan Navy, demonstrating vigilance and commitment to international maritime obligations, on Tuesday rescued seven crew members, including Indian nationals, from a distressed offshore vessel in the Arabian Sea after receiving a distress call, according to the military’s media wing.

In a statement, the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), said the vessel carrying seven crew members, six Indian and one Indonesian, suffered a critical technical failure while en route from Oman to India, leaving it stranded at sea.

#ISPR
Rawalpindi, 05 May, 2026

Pakistan Navy, demonstrating vigilance and commitment to international maritime obligations, promptly responded to a distress call from the offshore vessel MV GAUTAM in the Arabian Sea.

The vessel carrying seven crew members, six Indian and one… pic.twitter.com/jQlD5B0LIh

— Pakistan Armed Forces News 🇵🇰 (@PakistanFauj) May 5, 2026

“Demonstrating vigilance and commitment to international maritime obligations, the Pakistan Navy promptly responded to a distress call from the offshore vessel MV Gautam in the Arabian Sea and rescued seven crew members, including six Indian and one Indonesian,” the ISPR said.

Pakistan Navy rendered assistance to stranded vessel MV GAUTAM in the Arabian Sea carrying seven crew members, including six Indian and one Indonesian nationals, after the vessel suffered a critical technical failure while enroute from Oman to India. 1/2 pic.twitter.com/drDvB3Vaoy

— DGPR (Navy) (@dgprPaknavy) May 5, 2026

“The vessel carrying seven crew members, six Indian and one Indonesian, suffered a critical technical failure while en route from Oman to India, leaving it stranded at sea,” the statement said.

Upon distress alert from MRCC Mumbai, Pakistan Navy in coordination with PMSA, swiftly deployed PMSA Ship KASHMIR, providing food, medical aid and technical assistance, reaffirming its commitment to humanitarian and maritime obligations. 2/2 pic.twitter.com/zsQBgBJB99

— DGPR (Navy) (@dgprPaknavy) May 5, 2026

It added that upon receiving the alert from the Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre (MRCC) Mumbai, the Pakistan Navy initiated a swift response and deployed PMSA Ship Kashmir.

The statement further said that the ship provided food, medical aid, and technical assistance to help restore essential systems and ensure crew safety.

“This operation underscores Pakistan Navy’s commitment to maritime safety and humanitarian responsibilities, irrespective of nationality, and highlights its readiness to respond to emergencies across regional waters,” the statement concluded.

Pakistan Navy has carried out several rescue and evacuation operations in recent years in regional waters, particularly involving distressed merchant vessels and fishing boats, as part of its maritime safety mandate.

Earlier in April, Pakistan Navy had rescued and evacuated 18 crew members of a merchant vessel operating in the North Arabian Sea after a distress call, the military's media wing said.

In a statement, the ISPR had said that PNS Hunain conducted a search and rescue operation after receiving a distress call from merchant vessel Gold Autumn, operating in the North Arabian Sea at 200 nautical miles (approximately 370 kilometres) off Pakistan's coast.

"The ship's team of specialists provided medical aid, assisted in firefighting, carried out damage assessment, and successfully rescued the crew," it added.

The crew — including nationals of China, Bangladesh, Myanmar, Vietnam and Indonesia — were evacuated and transported to Karachi for medical care and repatriation to their respective countries.