Search for missing coast Guard Dornier continues

The Dornier aircraft of the Indian Coast Guard went missing on Monday night with three crew members while on a surveillance sortie over the seas. Reports said the aircraft took off at around 5-30 pm but then lost contact. It was suppose to return to the base by 10 pm.

INS Sandhayak, a hydrographic survey vessel of the Navy, arrived in the area on Thursday night and has commenced the search.

The vessel is using its underwater detection equipment to detect any transmission from the Sonar Locater Beacon of the aircraft.

Aerial search by Paramotors through Coastal Security Group of Tamil Nadu was undertaken 30 kms south of Cuddalore  along the coast over marshy mangroves, which is not approachable by sea.

INS Sindhudhvaj, a submarine of the Indian Navy is expected to join the search by Saturday afternoon.

Assistance of the National Remote Sensing Agency (NRSA) has also been sought for analysis of the Satellite imagery of the area, for possible location of the aircraft.

The Indian National Centre for Ocean Information Services (INCOIS), Hyderabad has been requested to undertake SAR model programming for the missing aircraft and to identify the Most Probable Area (MPA).

"National Institute of Ocean Technology (NIOT), Chennai has been approached for oceanographic analyses of the area around the datum and feasibility of deploying their Research Vessel 'Sagar Nidhi' for augmenting the subsurface search. A team from M/s Omcar Foundation, Thanjavur has been embarked onboard 'ICGS Sarang' for undertaking underwater photography and acoustic survey. Unrelenting efforts by Coast Guard and Naval ships /aircrafts to locate the missing Dornier and crew continues," a government statement said.
 

Constant interaction is being maintained with the family members of the air crew, and are being appraised on the progress of the search operation.