A solid support for fishermen to go offshore

Protect fishermen's lives

During a long journey to make a living on the ship BD 96774 TS, on the afternoon of June 21, Mr. Nguyen Luy (Hoai Nhon Bac ward, Gia Lai province) suddenly had a stroke, paralyzed the right side of his body, and could not eat or drink. In the middle of the vast ocean, each minute passed like a fragile heartbeat. Faced with this urgent situation, captain Phan Minh Phu immediately sent a distress signal to urgently bring Mr. Luy to shore for emergency treatment.

Upon receiving the news, Da Nang MRCC quickly coordinated with Da Nang Coastal Information Station to connect with Da Nang City Emergency Center to provide first aid advice to the patient and instruct the ship to increase speed to return to the mainland. However, by the afternoon of June 22, the crew member's condition had worsened and was life-threatening.

At this time, the Vietnam Maritime Search and Rescue Coordination Center mobilized SAR 631 (belonging to DaNang MRCC) to leave the port to carry out the rescue mission. SAR 631 sailed through the night and approached ship BD 96774 TS at noon on June 23. The rescue team immediately provided first aid, intensive care, and immediately turned the ship back to shore. At 1:30 a.m. on June 24, SAR 631 docked at DaNang MRCC wharf and handed over the distressed crew member to DaNang Hospital for further treatment, promptly saving his life.

Not long before, on the evening of May 25, the distress report of the Cong Thanh 07 ship carrying coal from Hon Gai to Hon La was urgently sent to the authorities. It is known that when about 6 nautical miles northeast of Son Duong port ( Ha Tinh province), the ship was flooded, tilted to the left and was sinking. At this time, the 10 crew members on board were facing rough seas and darkness.

The SAR 631 was ordered to set off, and the race against time began. At dawn on May 26, a lucky crew member was rescued by a fishing boat of fishermen from Quang Binh province; the remaining 9 crew members were approached by rescue forces and brought safely onto the SAR 631. At 4 p.m. the same day, all crew members were handed over at Vung Ang, in stable health.

[VIDEO] - Fishermen's support at sea:

Maintain the "shield" in the middle of the ocean

The above mentioned rescues amidst rough waves are just two of the many incidents that DaNang MRCC carries out each year. With the spirit of “treating the lives of fishermen as if they were family members”, the maritime rescue force is like a “shield” in the middle of the ocean, always ready to rush into the eye of the storm, amidst big waves and strong winds when receiving an emergency signal.

The returning SAR ships not only carried saved lives but also the faith and gratitude of many fishermen, giving them more strength to continue to stick to the sea and go out to sea.

According to statistics, each year, DaNang MRCC receives from 80 to 120 distress reports. From January 1 to August 11 this year, the unit received 70 reports of accidents and incidents at sea. Thereby, it mobilized 4 rescue ships in distant sea areas, directly and indirectly saving the lives of 140 people, including 2 foreign crew members.

Mr. Ho Xuan Phong, Head of the DaNang MRCC Rescue Coordination Department, said that specialized rescue vehicles are still limited, so coordination between forces is still a key factor in carrying out maritime rescue missions.

"The center mobilizes maximum participation from units such as Border Guard, Coast Guard, Navy... and local forces from the people such as fishing boats and cargo ships operating near the area of the ship in distress. This cooperation helps to significantly shorten the time to reach the scene, because in rescue, every minute is priceless," said Mr. Phong.

Not stopping at emergency response, DaNang MRCC identifies the important parallel task of prevention and raising public awareness. Every year, the center coordinates with coastal localities to organize many training courses for fishermen, ship owners, captains and crew members.

During the training sessions, the staff provided guidance on everything from the procedure for sending out distress signals, how to use communication equipment, to first aid skills for victims at sea. These training sessions helped fishermen stay calm, know how to handle situations, preserve their strength, and wait for professional rescue forces to come to their rescue when an incident occurs.

In addition, the center has developed mobile applications that function as an electronic handbook at sea, providing step-by-step instructions when a ship is in distress or a crew member is injured. With just a few simple steps, fishermen can find instructions from medical care to treatment procedures.

“Along with improving the skills of fishermen, the rescue force is also trained regularly. This helps officers and crew members practice their ability to stay calm and handle situations accurately in the most extreme conditions,” Mr. Phong shared.