Vietnam Maritime Search and Rescue Coordination Centre attended a working session with President of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam Vo Van Thuong at the Rescue Department via VSAT online television system

On the morning of June 10, Comrade Vo Van Thuong, President of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam, Commander-in-Chief of the People's Armed Forces, Chairman of the National Defense and Security Council visited and worked at the Rescue Department, General Staff of the Vietnam People's Army (VPA).

The meeting was honored to have the attendance of General Phan Van Giang, Politburo member, Deputy Secretary of the Central Military Commission, Minister of National Defense; Party Central Committee members: Tran Luu Quang, Deputy Prime Minister, Chairman of Vietnam Search and Rescue Committee (VINASARCOM); Senior Lieutenant General Nguyen Tan Cuong, Standing Member of the Central Military Commission, Chief of the General Staff of the Vietnam People's Army, Deputy Minister of National Defense; Lieutenant General Nguyen Van Gau, Deputy Director of the General Department of Politics of the Vietnam People's Army.

The meeting also had the participation of Lieutenant General Nguyen Trong Binh, Deputy Chief of the General Staff of the Vietnam People's Army, Permanent Vice Chairman of VINASARCOM; commanders of agencies and units under the Ministry of National Defense and leaders of several central ministries and branches.

Vietnam MRCC attended the online meeting via two bridges: the headquarter office in Hanoi and the SAR 412 vessel in Da Nang with the presence of Mr Bui Van Minh, General Director of Vietnam MRCC; Mr Vu Viet Hung, Deputy General Director of Vietnam MRCC, leaders of the staff departments, officers of the Rescue Coordination Department; Captain and crew of the SAR 412, Regional Maritime Search and Rescue Coordination Centre No II (Danang MRCC).

Through the VSAT online television system, Mr Tran Quang Thanh, Captain of SAR 412, Danang MRCC, on behalf of overall crew of Vietnam MRCC, reported to the President an overview of search and rescue operations at sea in search and rescue region.

SAR 412 conducts search and rescue operations in the area from Quang Tri to Binh Dinh, including Paracel Islands and Spratly Islands. SAR 412’s crew are always strictly on-duty and ready to deploy tasks timely, promptly and directly performing the role of on-scene commander in difficult and complicated incidents in bad weather conditions, closely coordinating with domestic and foreign rescue forces, especially with military forces such as the Navy, Coast Guard, Border Guard ... successfully conducting search and rescue missions for seafarers and vessels at sea; medical support, rescue people on isolated island communes due to bad weather conditions.

From 2020 to the present, SAR 412 has conducted 47 maritime search and rescue missions, successfully rescuing 132 victims (including 10 foreigners) and assisting 08 distressed vessels to return to shore safely. Some typical incidents include: on March 24, 2022, SAR 412 rescued fishermen on fishing boat QNg 98888 TS who suffered from an occupational accident at a position of 320 nautical miles from shore in Paracel Islands; on September 26, 2022, SAR 412 timely rescued 14 crew members of the vessel named CHINABOARD whose engine was broken and drifting, bringing them safely to shore before the nose of super typhoon NORU with gusts of over level 14 in the Thua Thien - Hue sea area.

In the first 6 months of 2023, Danang MRCC handled 35 incidents, mobilized 05 times of specialized search and rescue vessels, rescued and assisted over 100 people in accidents and incidents at sea.

In some incidents, Vietnamese rescue vessels had to carry out missions in remote sea areas, under harsh weather conditions, big waves, strong winds. However, with a steadfast spirit and high determination, the maritime rescue force successfully completed its missions, ensuring the safety of fishermen's lives while fishing at sea, creating peace of mind and trust for Vietnamese crew members and fishermen to go out to sea, contributing to the fight of protecting and maintaining the sacred sovereignty of the Fatherland's seas and islands and fulfilling the obligations of a coastal state, a port state, ensuring maritime safety and security, disaster prevention and search and rescue work in Vietnam's search and rescue region, affirming its role as a responsible member of the International Maritime Organization IMO.

Along with encouragement and sharing the difficulties and hardships, the President believes that the forces on duty ready to search and rescue at sea will always promote a sense of responsibility, courage, overcoming difficulties and the tradition of solidarity, high determination, excellently completing assigned tasks, being support for seafarers and fishermen to go out to sea, stick to the sea, and get rich from the sea.../.

Overview of the working session at the Rescue Department. Photo: Phu Son - People's Army Newspaper

Vietnam MRCC’s leaders and officials attended the online meeting at the headquarter office bridge in Hanoi.

Below are several photos of the working session at the headquarter office bridge point

Mr Bui Van Minh, General Director of Vietnam MRCC attended online at the headquarter Office bridge in Hanoi

Captain of SAR 412 Tran Quang Thanh reported to the President an overview of search and rescue operations at sea in search and rescue region via VSAT online television system from Da Nang

Overview of the working session from the headquarter office bridge in Hanoi