MUMBAI: All 14 crew members of a tugboat that had drifted in the Arabian Sea off the Alibag coast in Maharashtra's Raigad district have been rescued, a police official said on Friday.

The rescue operation of the crew from the small carrier operated by JSW Group was launched with the help of the Coast Guard, he said.

A chopper of the Coast Guard was engaged in the operation, which started around 9 am, and all the 14 crew members of the tugboat were safely evacuated, said Somnath Gharge, Raigad Superintendent of Police.

The Coast Guard chopper picked up the crew from the tugboat and safely dropped them at Alibag beach, he said, adding that all its 14 members are safe.

"A small carrier vessel operated by JSW got caught in the stormy weather today between Jaigarh and Salav as it drifted due to strong winds and low visibility," JSW Group had said in a statement on Thursday.

Police had said that the tugboat went adrift after its engine stopped functioning near the Kolaba fort off the Alibag coast on Thursday.

Raigad police, Coast Guard, and revenue officials were on alert to launch a rescue operation for the stranded boat, but were facing difficulties due to heavy rainfall, high tide and strong winds, Gharge said.