Tue Feb 18 16:08:17 UTC 2025: ## Kerala Maritime Board Rescues Stranded Merchant Vessel
**Thiruvananthapuram, Feb 18, 2025** – A merchant vessel, the *YLW*, carrying 24 crew members and sailing under the Cook Islands flag, experienced a five-day delay off the Kerala coast after its oil pump malfunctioned. The ship, en route from Haldia port (Kolkata) to Sharjah, was over 14 nautical miles from the coast when the incident occurred.
Initial attempts to repair the vessel were hampered by logistical challenges. While a replacement pump was transported from Gujarat to Vizhinjam port, delays in the survey of a tugboat owned by the Kerala Maritime Board prevented its immediate transfer to the stranded ship. A private shipping agency, Dowins Resources, faced exorbitant fees from Adani Port for the transfer, prompting them to return to the Maritime Board for assistance.
Recognizing the urgency of the situation and the plight of the 23 Indian and one Myanmar crew member, the Maritime Board expedited the tugboat survey and successfully delivered the pump to the *YLW* by Monday evening. After repairs, the vessel resumed its voyage to Sharjah by midnight.
First Piper 