A crew member fell seriously ill on a small cargo ship in the Bay of Bengal, Bangladesh. He had severe chest pain. It happened early on Tuesday, 10 November 2026.
The ship is the lighter vessel Bashundhara Oil and Gas-01. A lighter vessel is a small ship that carries cargo between big ships, anchorages and jetties. It was anchored near Parkirchar, in the Anwara area of Chattogram (Chittagong).
The ship was on its way from Kutubdia, in Cox's Bazar district, to the No. 9 Eastern Refinery jetty in Chattogram.
How help came
A person on board, Md Arafat Hossain, called 999. This is the national emergency number in Bangladesh. He asked for an urgent rescue.
The 999 team told the Coast Guard East Zone control room in Chattogram. Police at 999 worked with the Coast Guard and the Navy during the rescue.
The Coast Guard patrol team BCGS Tanvir reached the ship quickly. It took off the sick crew member, Md Moin Uddin, aged 42. The team landed him at No. 15 jetty in Patenga.
He was then taken to Chattogram Medical College Hospital. At the latest report, he was being treated in the hospital's heart ward. Officials have not said more about his condition.
Crews on ships at anchor often need help from shore. Read how a crew member with head injuries was airlifted from a ship at anchor off Felixstowe.
What to do if a shipmate has chest pain
Chest pain can be a heart attack. Fast help saves lives. This is general advice. Always follow your ship's medical guide and the radio doctor.
Know the warning signs: pain or pressure in the chest, pain going to the arm, neck, jaw or back, sweating, short breath, feeling sick or faint.
Stop the person working. Let them sit or half lie in a comfortable position. Do not let them walk around.
Call the master or the medical officer at once. Bring the medical kit, oxygen and the defibrillator (AED) close.
Get radio medical advice early. The coastguard or MRCC (Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre) can connect you to a doctor. On ships this is often called TMAS (telemedical assistance service).
Give medicine only as the medical guide or the radio doctor says.
If the person stops breathing, start CPR (chest presses and rescue breaths) and use the AED.
How to call for help
At sea, call the coastguard on VHF channel 16 or by DSC (digital selective calling). Say the ship name, position, number of sick people and their symptoms.
Near the coast of Bangladesh, the national emergency number 999 can also reach the Coast Guard, as in this case.
Save the local emergency and MRCC numbers on the bridge and in your phone before you sail.
Have the patient's passport, seaman's book and a short note on their symptoms and any medicine given ready to go with them.
Illness on board can strike several crew at once. Read how the US Coast Guard airlifted four tanker crew with suspected food poisoning off Puerto Rico. For emergency and welfare contacts, see our useful links for seafarers.
Cover photo: Bangladesh Coast Guard patrol ships at Mongla port, May 2018. Illustrative photo, not the boat in this rescue. Photo: Shajib Ray/Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sources: The Document: 999 call brings rescue for crew member after heart attack on anchored ship (10 Nov 2026), Channel i Online (in Bengali): Crew member rescued after heart attack on ship anchored at sea, following a 999 call (10 Nov 2026).
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