SYDNEY: The Royal Australian Navy said Sunday it had launched a search for a Pakistan Navy sailor believed to have disappeared overboard during a multinational military exercise in the north of the country.
The navy said the sailor, who was not named, went missing early Sunday while the Pakistan Navy ship PNS Nasr was anchored at Darwin Harbour in the Northern Territory during the biennial KAKADU military exercises.
A Northern Territory police spokesman told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation the sailor might have deliberately jumped into the crocodile-infested waters to swim to the mainland.
"A backpack was found in the water which would indicate that the person leaving the ship did know what he was doing at the time and didn't simply fall off the ship," Superintendent Rob Burgoyne said.
"He was described as skulking in the bushes (on the mainland), so one can work out from that, probably he didn't want to be found."
"The Australian Defence Force is assisting with the search and rescue efforts," the military said in a statement, adding that the hunt for the sailor would involve boats and aircraft.
More than 1,000 people, eight warships and 26 aircraft from 15 Asia-Pacific and Indian Ocean nations are involved in the maritime exercise, which lasts until September 12.
Burgoyne said the sailor was "probably lucky that he didn't come across one (crocodile) when he was in the water".
COMMENTS (23)
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@Bakhtiyar Ghazi Khan: Dear Bakhtryar, Having moved around the world I have found that Australians, although not perfect, compare well with most nationalities. Obviously, Australians do have young hooligans who it is best to avoid, because they can be dangerous, and this applies to locals as well as newcomers, but this is so in most countries. Newcomers are well accepted, but tend to stand out because they speak differently, but their children blend in very well. When I use public transport I have found that the majority of passengers.are all shapes, sizes and colours. Newcomers from the sub-continent would not feel that they were somehow different, because they would be part of the norm. Australians now are a mixed bag of all different nationalities and from a casual observation newcomers appear to be overwhelmingly from the sub-continent and China. If the Pakistani sailor made it to land he would not stand out. Incidentally, most Australians cannot tell the difference between Indians, Pakistanis and Sri-Lankans by looks or accents
i think he like Australia,and jumped to coast.to make better future in Australia.
Good job Pak Navy sniper.
@Sexton Blake: I too hope the missing sailor is found in good spirits.
The number of recommends my post got perhaps has to do with the fact that Indians do not boast about our armed forces and find it odd when those across the border boast about theirs. If you scan Indian newspapers, you will notice that the Indian Army, Navy, Air Force, etc. or its Chiefs rarely come up in the news unless they are actually doing something like the Search-and-Rescue operation in Jammu & Kashmir right now..
@Strategic Asset: Dear Strategic Asset, It appears readily apparent by the number of your RECOMMENDS in favour of Australia, that as usual, the ET readership is indulging in its favourite hobby, which is doing put-downs on most things Pakistan. I will not take sides, but would maintain that Pakistan and Australian military personnel are well trained, and their officer class attend elite training academies. In regard to both navies, they are both so small so as to be insignificant compared to the top ten. In the meantime I sincerely hope that the missing sailor is OK.
@Bakhtiyar Ghazi Khan:
what is there to be jealous about......escaping to Australia....?
Probably seeking asylum.
@Sexton Blake: Numbers do not accurately provide a complete picture except for the fact that the doubling of number of personnel is not matched by the number of ships. After WWII, Australia has brought down the size of its navy which once had over 300 ships, but its level of sophistication has gone up manifold. I urge you to compare the age, tonnage, defense mechanisms that the two have. Moreover, the Royal Australian Navy has infrastructure including ports, indigenous manufacturing capabilities and is a battle hardened force which still does operations in many parts of the world. What it lacks in terms of a blue water navy, it makes up for by alliances with the US and UK.
I think we should all just pray that he is found safe and sound!
Not surprised, this is one of the reasons we find it so hard to get abroad.
@Strategic Asset: My reading of the Pakistan navy size is 31,000 personnel, 71 ships, 40 aircraft. The Australian navy size is 14,215 personnel, 53 ships. Also, Pakistan military personnel are,well trained.and capable, as are Australians. If both countries have a problem it is that they usually purchase US equipment, which has a tendency to be expensive, unreliable, and is subject to very high maintenance costs.
Govt should honor every soldier, they are Sacrificing every thing for Pakistan.
I wonder the true story in this case, whether he jumped willingly or was tossed aboard. I wouldn't be surprised considering the among of racism and bigotry in Western armed forces against Muslims.
Indians comments only show their jealousy. Learn to behave like human beings.
The sooner a Naya Pakistan comes the better it is ..
@Darwin Resident How much coast line Australia has? And how much coast line Pakistan has? You have twice the size of their navy! No wonder your sailors are jumping in to sea! Lol.
I really don't blame him for jumping. Who in his right mind would want to live in Pakistan? Any opportunity to run away, get it
@Darwin Resident: Twice the size in terms of number of personnel only, not in terms of ships or capability.
Noooo! This is really crazy... I just had dinner last Friday on PNS Nasr at the invitation of the Navy to Pakistanis in Darwin, told all my Aussie friends and guests at the dinner how Pakistan Navy is twice the size of Australian Navy etc etc and now this... I am sure this bloke won't be able to survive the bush for long and will end up going home with the Navy but what a fool !!
Very disappointing
Shameful!
......so he jumped ship......can you really blame him ?
Pakistan seems not to be able to inculcate a sense of discipline in its personnel and is suffering from morale problem. This is not the first time one is seeing desertion of Pakistan Navy sailor in a foreign country. Some time back 11 Pakistan Sailors belonging to a group of two Pakistan Navy ships, PNS Moawin and PNS Babur, deserted in Tokyo
http://www.japanprobe.com/2007/06/15/11-pakistani-sailors-go-awol-in-japan/
How embarrassing.