Madras High Court asks why helicopters are not used to rescue people swept out to sea

The Madras High Court has asked why helicopters cannot be used to rescue people swept away by high tides at Chennai’s beaches, The Hindu reported on 9 November. The question covers the Marina and the coast of Chengalpattu and other districts.

Justice A.D. Jagadish Chandira and Justice B. Karthikeyan, sitting as a bench, raised the question in a habeas corpus case. The petition was filed by the father of a teenager. The boy went swimming at the Marina on 5 July 2026 and has not returned.

What the court did

The judges said Central and State agencies must work together to rescue people swept out to sea. On their own, they added the Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre, which is headed by the Director General of the Indian Coast Guard, as a party to the case.

They asked Additional Solicitor General AR.L. Sundaresan to get instructions from the centre by 20 November on what it does to rescue people who are swept away.

What the State told the court

Additional Public Prosecutor M. Mohamed Riyaz said 50 personnel of the 12th battalion of the Tamil Nadu Special Police are posted at the Marina every day to manage crowds. He said Chennai has seven jet skis, an all-terrain vehicle and two mini tractors for beach safety. Two 12-tonne boats of the Coastal Security Group patrol the coast from Pazhaverkadu to Neelankarai, he said.

Asked about CCTV, the prosecutor said the Greater Chennai Corporation, which covers 426 sq km, has installed 468 surveillance cameras in public places.

What’s next

The court will hear the case again after the Centre’s reply, due by 20 November.