China on Thursday thanked the Indian Coast Guard (ICG) for successfully evacuating a Chinese national from a Panama-flagged research vessel on the intervening night of August 16 and 17.

The Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre in Mumbai received information that one of its crew members, Yin Weigyang, onboard the research vessel MV Dong Fang Kan Tan No 2 had a cardiac arrest and required urgent medical attention.

The vessel was located 200 kilometres off the coast of Mumbai in the Arabian Sea. The Chinese national was evacuated amid challenging weather conditions on a dark night.

Our heartful appreciation to @IndiaCoastGuard for the timely and professional medical evacuation of a Chinese citizen in Arabian sea off Mumbai. pic.twitter.com/e5VLzy3yQD — Embassy of The People's Republic of China in India (@China_Amb_India) August 17, 2023

Considering the most feasible options for speedy evacuation and subsequent medical management, the patient was airlifted by CG ALH MK-III and was administered first aid. He was later transferred to an agent of the vessel for further medical management.

"The swift operation undertaken by CG ALH and CGAS Daman during the dark hours enabled the saving of the precious life of a foreign national at sea, reaffirming the Indian Coast Guard’s commitment to the motto 'We Protect'," the Ministry of Defence said.

Sharing the video of the rescue operation on Twitter, the Indian Coast Guard said that the operation took place mid-sea amidst challenging conditions and extreme weather. The video of the rescue operation depicts an Advance Light Helicopter (ALH) MK-III carrying out the evacuation. Soon after, the chopper arrives over the vessel before the patient is pulled up by the guards. Making gestures, the coast guards assure, in the video, that the patient is safe.