INS Sumedha, presently on Anti Piracy Patrol in Gulf of Aden, came to the rescue of the crew of the dhow Al-Hamid on 06 Jan 20. A traditional wooden vessel known as &Dhow&, Al-Hamid was detected by an IN Helicopter launched from the deck of INS Sumedha, which confirmed that the vessel was in distress and drifting near the coast of Somalia.
A boarding team along with a naval technical team embarked Al-Hamid for routine checks onboard and render assistance. The crew of Al-Hamid comprised 13 Indian Citizens. The technical team assessment revealed that the dhow had suffered a broken main engine shaft, which was not repairable at sea. The dhow was then towed to safety away from the Somali coast.