Kochi (Kerala) [India], June 14 : The Indian Navy successfully undertook the aerial insertion of the salvage team onboard the distressed vessel MV Wan Hai 503, which has been on fire since 9 June.
In a post on X, the Indian Navy said, "The salvage team, which embarked the Seaking helicopter at @IN_Garuda, #Kochi, was winched down the vessel on #13Jun 25, amidst challenging weather and sea conditions and fire onboard."
The salvage team connected the tow with the Salvage Tug Offshore Warrior, after which the salvage team was successfully extracted by Naval helicopter. Towing operations of the vessel have commenced.
INS Sharda and OSV MV Triton Liberty are actively engaged with the India Coast Guard.
and other maritime agencies to augment the salvage operation, the Indian Navy said.
"This swift insertion and extraction of the salvage team by the Indian Navy has significantly augmented the ongoing salvage efforts," it added.
https://x.com/indiannavy/status/1933750864667369674
Earlier in the day, in a significant development in the salvage operations of MV Wan Hai 503, the vessel's tow was successfully transferred from Indian Coast Guard (ICG) ships to the ocean-going tug Offshore Warrior on 13 June 2025. This shift was essential to progress the operation, as ICG vessels have limited bollard pull - a term denoting the towing capacity of a ship, said ICG.
For the past few days, ICG ships had been maintaining the vessel's position away from the coast. However, sudden deterioration in weather conditions, accompanied by strong westerly winds, caused the vessel to drift rapidly towards the shoreline. The adverse weather restricted aerial operations and delayed the embarkation of the salvage team members onto the vessel, said ICG.
Despite these challenges, around 1700 hours on 13 June, a Navy Sea King helicopter successfully launched from Kochi with the salvage team and winched them onboard the distressed vessel under extremely difficult conditions.
Subsequently, a 600-metre tow rope was connected to the ocean-going tug approximately 20 nautical miles off Kochi. This crucial joint operation involving the Indian Coast Guard, Indian Navy, and Indian Air Force enabled the salvors to take over the vessel from the ICG and continue the firefighting and salvage work.
The vessel is currently being towed westward at a speed of approximately 1.8 knots and is now nearly 35 nautical miles off the coast.
Three Indian Coast Guard Offshore Patrol Vessels are escorting the vessel while also continuing essential firefighting efforts. At the time of this report, only thick smoke and a few remaining hotspots are visible onboard Wan Hai 503 - a testament to the effective and sustained firefighting operations carried out by the ICG, which helped prevent a potential environmental disaster.
The ICG is closely coordinating with the Directorate General of Shipping to ensure the vessel remains at least 50 nautical miles from the Indian coastline until a suitable fate is decided by the owners of the vessel, in line with internationally accepted practices.
According to the ICG, this marks a major stride in mitigating a hazardous situation and safeguarding the coastal environment. The situation is expected to further stabilise with the anticipated arrival of additional firefighting tugs to support the ongoing operation.
"The Indian Coast Guard remains ever-prepared to respond to such contingencies and continues to work in close synergy with sister services, state authorities, regulatory agencies, and private salvors to ensure the safety of life, property, and the marine ecosystem," said ICG.