Crew members released a flare

The dhow and its crew of seventeen sailors set sail from Gujarat, India, transporting livestock to Sharjah, United Arab Emirates.

Their next planned voyage involved loading food from Sharjah and sailing to a port in Somalia.

But harsh weather in the Indian Ocean caused damage to the ship, causing it to take in water. The crew attempted bailing out their ship, but were unable to keep up with the fast flowing seawater.

The crew members released a distress signal as the boat sank, along with the cargo it carried.

However, no crew members were injured or lost.

“It was about a half an hour wait until we found help, when some Omani fishermen came to our rescue and took us to the Royal Oman Police coastguard. The coastguard then helped us contact our families back in India. After our families were informed by the Indian Embassy in Muscat, we were contacted by the embassy,” said Ibrahim Amad Ibrahim, father of Kaleem.

The sailors were transported to the Wilayat of Sur in South Al Sharqiyah Governorate and are staying in a hotel until their return to India. “We really wish to thank the Omani government for helping us so much in our times of trouble. The Omanis are really nice people and have helped us beyond everything,” said a grateful Ibrahim.

Ibrahim has been sailing cargo ships for 25 years. He added that the sunken ship was new and on its maiden voyage.