UAE Coast Guard come to aid of Indian seafarers who abandoned ship

HYDERABAD: Two Indian seafarers were rescued by the UAE Coast Guard after they abandoned their vessel MV Tamil Aldar in the Persian Gulf as it had been too dangerous to be on board.
In a last bid to save their lives, the two seafarers, along with two other Eritrean crew members, got into a life boat on June 29 to reach the Umm Al Quawain port. Getting on to the life boat itself was risky as that also was not in condition but the seafarers felt they had no option but to disembark their ship off the UAE coast as it did not even have fuel.They had also been practically starving for many days.
Seafarer Vikas Mishra informed TOI that after they had got into the life boat, the UAE Coast Guard noticed them and took them aboard their vessel and took them to the port.
“It came as a shock to the UAE coast guard that we had been stranded on the ship for 33 months without any help and without being paid for 28 months,” Vikas Mishra, who hails from Uttar Pradesh told TOI on Sunday.
Vikas Mishra, a second engineer on the vessel, explained to theie rescuers that they had also been deprived of proper food, drinking water and provisions and that they had been practically abandoned in the ship by the ship management Elite Way Marine Services, Dubai. They also informed that they had taken up their problem with the Federal Transport Authority (FTA), the Consulate General of India, Dubai, and also the ship's management. “The UAE coast guard asked us we had not brought their issue to their notice. They were sympathetic to our cause and extremely helpful,” Vikas Mishra said.
In a voice message sent to TOI, Vikas Mishra explained that after they were taken to the port, the UAE coast guard summoned the ship management to settle the issue. The representatives of Elite Way Marine Services assured the Coast Guard that the issues of the seafarers would be resolved and sought 15 days time.
Following the commitment given by the company, the sailors were once again sent back to the merchant ship MT Tamim Aldar. They were assured that the ship would be supplied immediately with fuel. The salary issue would also be worked out.
The shipping company has had similar issues with crew on several other of its ships.