01 dead, 01 fishermen missing after collision and sinking of the fishing boat BV 99778 TS in Con Dao waters

At 3:10 p.m. on September 19, 2024, the Vietnam Maritime Search and Rescue Coordination Centre (the Centre) received a distress report that fishing boat BV 99778 TS, captained by Mr. Pham Van Tot (residing in Kien Giang province), while fishing in the sea about 22 nautical miles East-SouthEast of Con Dao, collided with the cargo ship TRANSFORMER OL (Panama flag; DWT 28,375 tons; route from Singapore to Vung Tau) and sank.

Upon receiving, the Centre requested the Ho Chi Minh Coastal Radio Station to broadcast MSI; coordinated with local authorities to mobilize more forces; and requested the TRANSFORMER OL ship to coordinate with the fishing boats at the scene to operate SAR. On-scene forces (02 fishing boats BV 99359 TS and BV 99278 TS) promptly rescued 12 fishermen of BV 99778 TS (01 of them was seriously injured and needed to be brought ashore ASAP). At 20:30 on September 19, 2024, the authorities mobilized the fishing boat BV 98259 TS to bring the 12 rescued fishermen to Con Son Island for treatment.

On September 21, 2024, the rescue team also coordinated with the owner of the fishing boat BV 99778 TS to tow the wreck to Con Son Island and deployed diving to search inside the wreck but did not find any victims.

Following directions of the VINASARCOM, on September 22, 2024, on-scene forces including the vessels SAR 413 (OSC), the ship CSB 2011 (under the Coast Guard Region 3 Command) and a group of fishing boats conducting an expanded search according to the search plan developed and assigned by the Centre. At noon on the same day, the vessel CSB 2011 discovered 01 corpses suspected to be a missing fisherman of BV 99778 TS at a location 12 nautical miles NorthEast of the accident site and coordinated to take it onboard the vessel SAR 413 at 12:45.

The weather situation in the area is SouthWest wind level 5-6, gust level 7, and waves over 2m in height. Under the drastic and urgent direction of competent authorities, the rescue forces continue to maintain the distress report, mobilize vehicles operating in the area to know, and support the search for 01 missing fishermen./.

The wreck of the fishing boat BV 99778 TS was towed to Con Son Island, nobody was found inside

The vessel SAR 413 conducts OSC to search and rescue missing fishermen