Pakistan Navy's 'Kashmir' Rescues Crew of M.V. Gautam, Indian Tug Adrift in Arabian Sea
New Delhi: Pakistan Navy rescued a crew of six Indians and an Indonesian sailors aboard the distressed offshore tug M.V. Gautam in the Arabian sea on Tuesday, May 5. Pakistani vessel PMSS Kashmir arrived with food, medical aid and technical support for the struggling Indian vessel sailing from Oman towards the Indian coast, according to a Reuters report.
The Maritime Rescue and Coordination Centre in Mumbai contacted Pakistani authorities and requested assistance, said a report in Dawn newspaper.
An Indian Coast Guard (ICG) vessel was close behind in response to M.V. Gautam's distress call following a total power failure aboard on May 3. At the time of the incident, the vessel was located within the Pakistan Search and Rescue Region (PSRR), NDTV reported.
ICG Ship Rajratan, deployed in the area, was tasked to investigate. Upon reaching the vessel's vicinity, communication was established. "It was further ascertained that technical personnel from the Pakistan Maritime Security Agency had boarded the vessel," NDTV reported, citing sources.
A Gulf News report shared news of the rescue and details of how it was planned.
#Pakistan Navy has rescued a stranded #Indian crew in a #humanitarian operation in the Arabian Sea following an SOS alert.
Acting on a distress signal from Mumbai MRCC, Pakistan Navy frigate “Kashmir” was promptly deployed to assist the Indian vessel MV Gautam.
The ship… pic.twitter.com/deloojVoUI
— Gulf Times (@GulfTimes_QATAR) May 5, 2026
More videos surfaced online in the hours after the rescue, once they were released by the Pakistani authorities, including interviews with crew of M.V. Gautam, which was adrift and powerless since May 3. Crew members said they could not repair the vessel's failed power generator:
JUST IN - Pakistan Navy says it 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. pic.twitter.com/fsxQEy7WpG
— Insider Paper (@TheInsiderPaper) May 5, 2026
M.V. Gautam is an offshore tug, a powerful ocean-going vessel used mostly on oil rigs or for towing and anchor handling operations. The Kashmir class of ships are multipurpose vessels used by Pakistan's PMSS. PMSS Kashmir is said to be the lead ship of the class.
Last month, Pakistan said its navy had rescued and evacuated 18 crew members of a merchant vessel operating in the northern Arabian Sea after a distress call. Rescues at sea are not unusual in the busy maritime corridors of the Arabian sea.
In 2024, Indian Navy rescued 23 Pakistani sailors aboard an Iranian fishing vessel, 'Al-Kambar 786', that had come under attack from pirates off the coast of Yemen. "Two Indian Naval ships, mission deployed in the ArabianSea for maritime security operations were diverted to intercept the hijacked FV [fishing vessel], reported to have been boarded by nine armed pirates," a spokesperson for the navy had said at the time.
This article went live on May sixth, two thousand twenty six, at nineteen minutes past five in the evening.The Wire is now on WhatsApp. Follow our channel for sharp analysis and opinions on the latest developments.
