In response to a critical rescue mission during the stormy season in the Con Dao waters (Ba Ria-Vung Tau province), the specialized search and rescue vessel SAR 413 promptly carried out a rescue operation for four Vietnamese fishermen who were in distress on the maritime boundary between Vietnam and Malaysia.
On July 19, 2023, the Vietnam Maritime Search and Rescue Coordination Center received distress signals from a foreign vessel reporting the sighting of a sunken fishing boat with three people adrift at a location about 145 nautical miles southeast of Con Dao. This area falls within the search and rescue responsibilities of both Vietnam and Malaysia.
Without delay, the center activated the search and rescue plan, coordinating with Singapore, Malaysia, and Indonesia’s rescue agencies to implement necessary measures. They also requested Vietnamese and international vessels operating in the region to swiftly join the search and rescue effort.
The Ministry of Transport, the National Committee for Natural Disaster Response and Search and Rescue, and the Vietnam Maritime Administration quickly directed the center to deploy the specialized search and rescue vessel SAR 413 stationed at Con Dao to assume command and coordinate domestic and international forces in the search and rescue operations.
At 09:45 am on July 19, 2023, the rescue team at the scene successfully rescued three people adrift at sea. By 10:45 am the same day, they found and rescued another person in a nearby area. According to the information gathered, the distressed fishing boat with the registration number BD 30947 TS, carrying six crew members, sank at around 06:00 am on July 19, 2023, leaving two crew members still missing.
At 08:15 am on July 21, 2023, the four rescued crew members of the BD 30947 TS were brought back to Con Dao by SAR 413 for immediate medical treatment.
From July 19, 2023, until now, SAR 413 has been planning and dividing the search and rescue areas for the teams at the scene to expand the search for the missing victims. However, the sea weather conditions at the search site continue to be adverse, with strong waves over 3 meters high, significantly affecting the search operations.
Prior to this incident, on July 18, 2023, right after SAR 413 was deployed to Con Dao, Minister of Transport Nguyen Van Thang and Director of Vietnam Maritime Administration Le Do Muoi, along with the working delegation, boarded the vessel to inspect and assign the rescue mission for SAR 413 during the 2023 stormy season. On this occasion, Minister Nguyen Van Thang remarked: “Maritime rescue forces are silent warriors.”
Source: VIETNAM MARITIME SEARCH AND RESCUE COORDINATION CENTER
