A Year of Milestones for Vietnam's Maritime Rescue Sector

"We have had an unforgettable year in maritime search and rescue, with some of the most extraordinary cases ever encountered, including the largest number of foreign victims rescued in Vietnamese waters" shared Mr. Vu Viet Hung, Deputy General Director of the Vietnam Maritime Search and Rescue Coordination Center (MRCC).

The Most Heartbreaking Rescue Mission in Recent Years

Rescue officers from Region Centre III in Vung Tau will never forget the mission to save the Wu Zhou 8 vessel at the end of September 2022. The distress message came from a cargo vessel with 21 Chinese crew members on board transporting over 50,000 tons of potatoes, cassava slices from Thailand to China. Eighteen crew members were reported to be suffering from food poisoning, with the captain in critical condition.

"We did not rule out the possibility that the victims were exposed to toxic gases inside the ship," said Mr. Vu Viet Hung.

Upon receiving a report from the China MRCC, assessing the severity of the situation, Vietnam Maritime Search and Rescue Coordination Center requested the Ho Chi Minh City Coastal Radio Station to provide medical consultation and proposed deploying a helicopter with medical personnel for an emergency.

Under the urgent and drastic directives of National Committee for Incident, Disaster Response, and Search and Rescue, Ministry of Transport and  Vietnam Maritime Administration, the Center coordinated a comprehensive rescue operation with China MRCC, the shipowner, the agent, and relevant authorities.

The MRCC collaborated with Hoyer Transport Vietnam Co., Ltd. (the designated agent for Wu Zhou 8 in Vietnam) to dispatch a helicopter with a medical team at 12:15 PM on September 30, 2022, from Vung Tau airport. Eleven crew members were evacuated to the Military-Civilian Medical Center in Con Dao.

Transfer of the deceased victims of the Wu Zhou 8 poisoning incident to SAR vessel

Right after that, the Center deployed the specialized rescue vessel SAR 272 from Vung Tau, accompanied by border guard doctors, for a rescue mission.

According to Mr. Luong Truong Phi, Deputy Director of the Region Center III in Vung Tau, the Wu Zhou 8 case was unprecedented. "We lacked information and could not communicate directly with the distress vessel."

When SAR 272 reached the distress vessel, no assistance was available from crew members, the high risk of contamination posed a severe threat to the rescue team’s lives. Additionally, that was a huge vessel with 225 meters  length, more than eight times the length of SAR 272, and 12 meters - freeboard, so boarding was extremely difficult.

“We decided on a plan to use a line throwing to shoot a rope across to the vessel. Then, by maritime methods, the crew attached an escape ladder to the rope. After the rope and ladder were securely fixed to the hull of m/v Wu Zhou 8, the SAR 272 crew nominated an officer to move to the roof of the SAR 272. As the waves rushed gently to m/v Wu Zhou 8, the officer jumped quickly over the ladder and swung aboard the distressed ship," Mr. Phi recounted.

For Mr. Tran Van Vuong, First Mate of SAR 272, the mission to rescue 21 Chinese crew members from Wu Zhou 8 between September 30 and October 2, 2022, was the most sorrowful experience in his 15 years at sea. Despite all efforts, only the victim’s bodies were transferred to the mainland.

"I am one of on-scene commanders directly leading the rescue team, while checking and reporting on-board, we received authorization from leaders to process the rescue mission. I took the lead, despite the dangers, to boost my team more confident and forcible.

The scene on board was heartbreaking. None of the remaining crew had survived. We upheld the principle of treating the victims as our own family members, using all means of rescue to bring them back to the mainland as quickly as possible. In this case, our team gave over 100% of their strength," he shared.

Handing over the victims to the authorities

After agreeing rescue plan, with determination, courage and creativity the rescue team managed to search and transfer all 10 remaining victims from Wu Zhou 8 to SAR 272 within four hours. SAR 272 then sailed to Con Dao to collect three more bodies before heading back to Vung Tau.

"This was the most tragic rescue mission in over two years. The SAR 272 rescue team was in shock after this tragic rescue mission. We had hoped for a miracle, but all efforts were in vain," Mr. Vu Viet Hung said.

A Record Year for amount of rescuing foreign fishermen

According to Mr. Vu Viet Hung, Deputy General Director of VMRCC, the overall number of maritime accidents and incidents decreased in 2022 compared to 2021. Real distress alerts dropped by 13.5%, and damage of facility dropped by 17.4%. However, the number of severe accidents and deaths remained high, leading to a 23.1% increase in SAR vessel deployments and a 17.4% rise in human casualties.

In 2022, the MRCC received 288 distress alerts, of which 230 were real distress alerts, accounting for 79.9%. The number of SAR vessels deployment was 48.

Fishing vessels accounted for 74.8% of cases, cargo vessels for 20.9%, and other categories for 4.3%. The total number of people rescued or assisted was 1213 (with the MRCC directly saving 394 individuals).

In 2022, international coordination efforts were highly praised by global maritime rescue organizations. The VMRCC successfully coordinated with foreign RCCs to rescue Vietnamese citizens stranded in international waters and directly assisted 325 foreign victims in Vietnamese waters.

The most significant operation was the rescue of 303 Sri Lankan nationals adrift near Spratly Island in November 2022.

On November 7, 2022, the fishing vessel LADY R3, Myanmar flag and carrying 303 Sri Lankan nationals from Myanmar to Canada, encountered flooding in the engine room while located approximately 258 nautical miles southeast of Vung Tau, within Spratly Island of Vietnam.

The fishing vessel LADY R3, Myanmar flag, carrying 303 Sri Lankan citizens from Myanmar to Canada, encountered distress

Upon receiving information from the Sri Lanka MRCC, the VMRCC requested the Ho Chi Minh Coast Radio Station to broadcast an urgency message and coordinated closely with international rescue agencies from Sri Lanka, Singapore, Malaysia to verify the information, develop a joint rescue plan, and alert international vessels in the distress area for emergency assistance.

Recognizing the complexity and scale of the case, the VMRCC reported to National Committee for Disaster Response and Search and Rescue,  Ministry of Transport, and Vietnam Maritime Administration; proposing direct relevant forces, including the Navy Region II, Coast Guard Region 3, and local authorities, urgently mobilize facilities for the rescue operation.

At 15:05 on November 7, 2022, the MRCC identified m/v Helios Leader (Japan flag, call sign: 7JFI) processing nearby and requested her to alter course to assist f/v Lady R3. By 15:40 on the same day, Helios Leader had reached the distressed vessel and found it adrift, with many people in panic crowding onto the deck.

Under the MRCC’s guidance, m/v Helios Leader implemented necessary safety measures, transferred the stranded individuals onto the ship, provided first aid, and subsequently transported all 303 individuals (including 264 men, 19 women, and 20 children) to Vung Tau.

Upon arrival in Vung Tau, the MRCC coordinated with relevant agencies and deployed the rescue vessel SAR 413 twice to transfer all 303 Sri Lankan citizens from Helios Leader to Vietsovpetro Port (Vung Tau) for handover to the authorities.

The Center hands over 303 victims to the authorities

In the past year, the MRCC has also rescued nine crew members and recovered four bodies from m/v Vandon ACE’s accident (owned by Hong Gai Shipping Co. with 19 crew members onboard). The vessel, carrying 5,800 cubic meters of timber from Rabaul Port, Papua New Guinea, to Can Tho, encountered rough weather (winds of 6-7 on the Beaufort scale and waves 4-5 meters high), suffered an engine failure, and listed 15 degrees. Within four hours, water flooded the vessel, forcing the crew to abandon the ship and drift at sea. As of now, six crew members remain missing.

These two incidents were unprecedented in terms of both scale and complexity in Vietnam’s maritime search and rescue history.

Beyond these cases, the MRCC has handled numerous other challenging incidents, such as: Mobilizing the Danish flag cargo vessel Mathilde Maersk (over 20,000 DWT) to rescue 18 crew members of m/v Narumoto Maru, who had abandoned ship and were drifting on life rafts off the coast of Binh Thuan on December 1, 2021. Rescuing five crew members of the fishing vessel BTh 99458 TS, which sank off the coast of Ba Ria-Vung Tau on March 3, 2022 ... Throughout these operations, the application of IT aided solutions such as SAROPS and Seavision, along with continuous and close information exchange, coordination between VMRCC and international forces, VMRCC has ensured timely and effective search and rescue efforts, earning recognition from authorities at all levels.

Strengthening Maritime Search and Rescue Efforts

According to Mr. Vu Viet Hung, a significant milestone for the search and rescue force came at the end of 2022 with the keel-laying and construction of a new dedicated search and rescue vessel with 62 meters  length, which is designed to withstand winds of force 9-10 on the Beaufort scale and operate in bad weather conditions.

Equipped with full particular rescue facilities, the vessel can operate up to 3,000 nautical miles and conduct long-duration missions at sea. “The vessel can remain at sea for two to three weeks, enabling the process of long-day rescue missions. This is great news, as we hoped for a modern rescue vessel to enhance long-day search and rescue capabilities,” said Mr. Hung.

However, search and rescue personnel still have concerns. Currently, their salaries are significantly lower than those of commercial seafarers. While crew members strive to make ends meet, if upcoming wage policy reforms reduce their earnings further, it is uncertain whether they will be able to maintain their dedication to the mission.

Deputy Minister of Transport Nguyen Xuan Sang and MRCC leaders visited the crew members who were rescued in time from m/v Van Don ACE

Additionally, VMRCC desires that the Vietnam Maritime Administration propose to the relevant authorities and reporting the Prime Minister Recurrent expenditure for special operations, based on existing economic-technical standards or extend the special budget allocations for the 2023-2025 period, as previously approved in official documents No. 848/TTg-KTTH (July 4, 2020) and No. 302/TTg-KTTH (April 7, 2022).

To ensure preparedness in maritime search and rescue operations, particularly regarding the 2023 budget plan, VMRCC also urges the Ministry of Transport to prioritize funding for the shipbuilding, repair, and maintenance of rescue vessels and the Centre’s logistics.