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Accordingly, the ICG provided salvage assistance to Panama Flag, MT Infinity - 1 carrying 1794 metric tonnes of asphalt.The vessel was anchored 20 miles off Aguada due to high rate of flooding. On receipt of the information from Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre, Mumbai, through an e-mail from the ship s agent, the ICG sprung into action and dispatched ships from Goa to bring the situation under control.The MT Infinity - 1 is an oil/asphalt carrier and was on coastal passage from Kandla, Gujarat, to Karwar with 14-member Indian crew.It had developed a crack near the cofferdam, two metres below the water line in the fore part of the ship, due to which water ingressed at a very high rate. The flooding would have caused the ship to sink, and the Coast Guard was informed that the crew of the tanker are not sufficiently equipped to cope up with the volume of water entering as a result of which the vessel was listed to starboard, stated the press note.The Coast Guard ships, Amal and Shoor, equipped with adequate damage control equipment and specialized trained staff immediately arrived on the scene, braving the rough sea conditions.Two other Coast Guard ships and a helicopter were also kept standby at immediate notice. On arrival, five submersible and diesel driven pumps, other damage control equipment and specialists were transferred to the distress ship to carry out de-flooding of water that had ingressed at the rate of about 50 tonnes per hour.“Within six hours of continuous de-flooding operation in the dark hours, flooding was brought under control and the vessel achieved stabilised condition.”“The prompt response by the Coast Guard not only saved the vessel, its crew and cargo, but also averted a potentially dangerous situation, wherein the cargo released into the sea would have caused unfathomable environmental damage, including damage to the pristine beaches of Goa.”The MT Infinity - 1 has weighed anchor early Thursday morning and was being escorted to Karwar by CG ships with a team of Coast Guard personnel on board the tanker.
