The mortal remains of Commandant Rakesh Kumar Rana, the pilot who went missing after the Advanced Light Helicopter MK-III of the Indian Coast Guard (ICG) made an emergency landing at the beginning of September was recovered on Thursday.
#SAR efforts concluded for @IndiaCoastGuard #ALH helicopter, which ditched at sea during a #MEDVAC night mission on 02 Sep 24. Regretfully, the mortal remains of Comdt RK Rana, Pilot in Command, were recovered on 10 Oct 24. Earlier, the mortal remains of Comdt(JG) Vipin Babu and…
— Indian Coast Guard (@IndiaCoastGuard) October 11, 2024
According to a defence ministry statement, the mortal remains of Commandant Rana were retrieved approximately 55 kms southwest off the coast of Porbandar.
Commandant Rana, who was the helicopter’s pilot-in-command, was on a medical evacuation mission along with one pilot and two air crew divers to evacuate a seriously injured crew member from Motor Tanker Hari Leela when they were forced to make an emergency landing.
The Indian Navy launched a search and rescue operation for the missing personnel. While one of the crew members was rescued, the mortal remains of three others were recovered the next day.
“After over 70 air sorties and involvement of multiple ships, the mortal remains of Commandant Rakesh Kumar Rana were retrieved on October 10, 2024. The mortal remains of the brave soul will be cremated as per service traditions and honour,” the statement further read.