Clearance Diving Unit conducts Salvage operation in two phases
Port Blair, Feb 04: The ill-fated boat, MV Aqua Marine which met with a tragic accident on 26 January 14, and subsequently sank was salvaged by the Andaman and Nicobar Command on 03 February 2014.
Acting promptly on a request received from the local administration for salvaging the sunken boat to progress the magisterial inquiry into the accident, the Clearance Diving Unit (CDU) under the Naval Component of the Andaman and Nicobar Command was pressed into immediate action. Since the boat was at a depth of 25 metres,and nearly 600 metres from the shore, the salvage operations involved detailed planning and extensive preparations.
The CDU began the operation at first light on 02 February 14. The salvage was carried out in two-phases. The first phase involved the difficult task of lifting the boat from a depth of 25 metres close to water surface and the second phase involved preparing it for being towed to shore.
“Deep Sea Lift Bags” were used for first phase of salvage. The bags are specialised inflatable balloons that can support weights upto 10 tons. Three such bags were firmly attached to the sunk boat by divers who had to operate for long hours in depths of 25 metres to achieve this successfully.
The boat was then gradually floated and raised to three metres below the surface of the water. It was then painstakingly towed closer to the shore. This task had to be carried very meticulously as any drastic movement could uproot the bags and sink the boat,thereby causing loss of crucial evidence.
The boat was successfully brought to a depth of seven metres, before suspending the operations due to poor light and falling tide on 02 February 14. The salvage recommenced next morning and the second phase of operations was put into action.
The boat was attached with specialised “Enclosed Salvage Bags” suited for shallow waters operations. The boat was floated up 2-3 metres below the water surface, and thereafter carefully towed closer to the shore till very shallow depths, and finally beached about 50 metres from the shore. The operation was completed by 1100 hours on 03 February 14.
The CDU was able to achieve this extremely difficult and intricate task in a little over fifteen hours. The successful and swift manner in which the salvage operations were carried out by the Andaman and Nicobar Command, yet again reflects the promptness, flexibility and resoluteness of the Armed Forces. Andaman and Nicobar Command had earlier responded immediately on receiving news of the accident on 26 January 14, and despatched their Naval Fast Interceptor Craft and the Clearance Diving Team along with a Chetak helicopter and an Inshore Patrol Vessel of the Indian Coast Guard for the search and rescue operations.
The boat is an important evidence in the ongoing investigation, and its recovery will significantly help to determine the cause of the tragedy.
