Mangaluru: The Mangaluru-based Indian Coast Guard Ship (ICGS) Vikram on Wednesday saved a fishing boat on the high seas off the coast of Kochi from distress and facilitated its safe towing.

A release from the Coast Guard, Karnataka, said Mumbai’s Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre received a message at 10.30 a.m. on Wednesday from a fishing boat, St. Antony, with nine crew members. The boat was in distress owing to engine failure.

The Mumbai ICG regional headquarters immediately diverted ICGS Vikram, based at New Mangalore Port, to render assistance to the boat. The ship, which was on its routine patrol, reached the distressed fishing boat by 5.15 p.m. on the same day.

The ship’s technical team, along with tools and medical aid, embarked the fishing boat for defect rectification. But the engine could not be rectified at sea as the problem was critical, with a broken engine flywheel and jammed engine crankcase. ICGS Vikram subsequently took St. Antony on tow towards Kochi. After towing it for 57 nautical miles, the ship handed over the boat to another fishing boat, Jasmine, at 7.45 a.m. on Thursday for towing it towards Kochi.