A group of indigenous people, the Sentinelese, live on North Sentinel Island. Their present numbers are estimated to be between 50 and 400 individuals.
They reject any contact with other people, and are among the last people to remain virtually untouched by modern civilization.
On 2 August 1981, the ship Primrose grounded on the North Sentinel Island reef. A few days later, crewmen on the immobile vessel observed that small black men were carrying spears and arrows and building boats on the beach. The captain of the Primrose radioed for an urgent airdrop of firearms so the crew could defend themselves, but did not receive them. Heavy seas kept the islanders away from the ship. After a week, the crew were rescued by an Indian navy helicopter.