Kozhikode: Eight crew members of a dhow, Jesus Heart, which sank after colliding with a fishing boat off the Beypore coast on Tuesday night, were rescued in a joint operation by a commercial service ship, Tug Resco 4 and the Indian Coast Guard.

The dhow sank about 20 nautical miles off Beypore while carrying around 160–170 tonnes of cargo. Tug Resco 4 rescued all eight crew members, which was operating in the area in support of the seismic survey vessel MV Eagle Explorer. The survivors were later transferred to Indian Coast Guard Ship C-144 and brought to Beypore Harbour on Wednesday morning.

According to Coast Guard authorities, the dhow's crew raised an alert over VHF radio immediately after the collision. Tug Resco 4 responded to the distress call and rescued all eight crew members at around 11.40 p.m. on Tuesday. The tug remained involved in the rescue effort until the survivors were handed over to the Coast Guard.

ICGS C-144 left Beypore Harbour at 5.30 am on Wednesday to assist the survivors. After contacting Tug Resco 4 and obtaining the location of the rescued crew, the Coast Guard vessel reached the designated spot and took all eight survivors aboard.

According to Coast Guard authorities, the ship then searched the area where the dhow was reported to have sunk, covering a radius of about three nautical miles. However, no debris, wreckage or oil spill was found. The water depth at the reported sinking location was around 36 metres.

During the subsequent inquiry, the dhow's master told authorities that a fishing boat with a blue-coloured hull collided with the starboard side of the vessel near the front section at around 10.30 pm on Tuesday. The identity of the fishing boat remains unknown.

The collision reportedly damaged the dhow's hull, allowing seawater to enter and causing it to flood and eventually sink.

Coast Guard authorities said they brought all eight survivors safely to Beypore Harbour, where they underwent medical examinations. They were found to be in good health and were subsequently handed over to Beypore Coastal Police for further investigation.