By GODWIN ORITSE

LAGOS – THE Search and Rescue unit of Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency, NIMASA, weekend, rescued 10  Indians, crew members of a distressed  Liberian registered vessel, MT Jacksonville.

It was gathered that NIMASA received the distress message in the early hours of Sunday  at the radio room of the Regional Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre , MRCC and immediately relayed the signal via VHF Radio channel to all vessels within the vicinity to render assistance to the distressed vessel.

A statement by the agency’s Head of Public Relations, Hajia Lami Tumaka, said officers on guard immediately mobilised and proceeded to the vicinity of the distressed vessel about 17 nautical miles off the Lagos Fairway Buoy with the use of NIMASA search and Rescue Boat, MV White.

Tumaka stated that on arrival at the scene, the NIMASA team liaised with safety officers onboard Mv Grande Costa D’avario to carry out the rescue operation.

Ten crew members including the Master, engineers deckhands and others  were rescued in an operation that lasted over four hours, while the whereabouts of five other  crew members were unknown as at press time.

The rescue team immediately evacuated the 10  rescued crew members to Bullnose Jetty in Apapa where they were administered first aid treatment by the agency’s medical team, before taking them for further treatment at the Search and Rescue Clinic in Apapa Lagos.