Search and rescue monthly report - March 2024

In March 2024, the Vietnam Maritime Search and Rescue Coordination Center directly commanded and operated the Center's search and rescue forces; preside over, participated in, and coordinated with relevant search and rescue forces to well perform search and rescue work at sea. Specific results are as follows:

1. On-duty operation and processing of distress at sea information activities

- The total number of received distress alerts was 23 cases, including:

+ Real distress alerts: 22 cases, counting for 95.7%; false distress alerts: 01 cases, counting for 4.3%.

+ SAR coordination cases: 19 cases, including 05 maritime distress alert cases, happened in Vietnam's Truong Sa (Spratly) and Hoang Sa Islands (Paracel).

+ SAR coordination cases with SAR vessel dispatching: 03 cases (Especially, SAR 412 vessel dispatched to rescue 01 fisherman from QNa 94916 TS fishing vessel while fishing in the area of Hoang Sa Island)

+ In 22 true incident alerts, there were 02 maritime distress cases relating to cargo vessels, counting for 9.1%; 19 cases relating to fishing vessels, counting for 86.4%; and 01 cases relating to other vessels, counting for 4.5%.

- Total number of supported and rescued people: 108 Vietnamese, including 54 Vietnamese residents rescued from the Hoang Sa and Truong Sa Islands area and 01 foreign residents.

 2. Cases of SAR vessel dispatch in March, 2024

- From 06th to 07th March 2024, Vietnam MRCC dispatched the specialized search and rescue vessel named SAR 412 with doctors (from Da Nang Emergency Centre 115) on board to rescue 01 fishermen who fell overboard on a fishing vessel named QNa 94916 TS at the position­ of 14⁰28'N – 113⁰45’’E, about 340 nautical miles from the East - South East of Da Nang.

- On March 24, 2024, Vietnam MRCC dispatched the specialized search and rescue vessel named SAR 274 stationed at Danang and coordinated with relevant SAR forces on the scene to rescue and support 09 crew members on the Giang Anh 18 vessel carrying 2950 tones of cement, navigated from Chinh Phong port (Minh Duc, Hai Phong city) to Ky Ha port (Quang Nam Province); this vessel had collided with a reef and had flooding at the position of 15⁰54’’N; 108⁰31’’E, about 01 nautical miles from the West of Hon Tai Island, Cu Lao Cham and about 07 nautical miles from North East of Cua Dai, 20 nautical miles from the South East of Son Tra Peninsula, Da Nang.

- On March 30, 2023, Vietnam MRCC dispatched the specialized search and rescue vessel SAR 272 stationed at Vung Tau to rescue 01 fishermen who had a labor accident, which caused a broken femur, restricted movement, difficulty breathing, and exhaustion from the fishing vessel BD 97081 TS while navigating at the position 09⁰33’N—107⁰51’E (about 50 nautical miles East of Vung Tau)./.