Vung Tau MRCC (Regional Centre III) conducts the joint maritime search and rescue field training of the year 2023

On December 19^th 2023, Vung Tau MRCC (Regional Centre III) conducted the joint maritime search and rescue field training of the year 2023 to assess following skills: distress monitoring; search planning and rescue planning; calculating and determining search and rescue areas; co-ordination of assorted resources; checking coordinating skills of watchstanders of the Rescue Coordination Department; SAR vessels' maneuvering ability and maritime search skills. Thereby, the officials and crews learn from experience and then improve their ability to handle emergency incidents and distress occurring at sea more effectively in the future.

Hypothetical situation: At 07:30 on December 19, 2023, Vung Tau MRCC received information from the Captain of M/V OLD LEADER: M/V OLD LEADER was en route from China to Phu My port. When arriving at position 10⁰16’00” N; 107⁰15'00" E (about 10 nautical miles SouthEast of buoy number "0" of Vung Tau - Ho Chi Minh City navigational channel) the vessel discovered that hold number 4 was on fire and was spreading to other hold. Vessel specifications: 140 x 20m, tonnage: 16,000 tons, cargo on board: 8,850 tons of coal. The Captain requires immediate assistance in evacuating the 18 crew members and firefighting assistance.

At Vung Tau MRCC's office, watchstanders received and monitored initial information,  then proposed a plan of SAR. After reporting to the command and relevant parties, watchstander used SAROPS to make a plan for two vessels searching in parallel. The vessel SAR 413 was assigned to be the on-scene coordinator, coordinating with SAR 272 and SAR 69 and assorted resources to search for drifting objects. On-scene forces practice launching workboats to rescue drifting victims; providing initial medical aid to injured ones; organizing working teams to handle: firefighting, explosion prevention, rescuing people in distress, and isolating the scene to ensure oil spill prevention and maritime pollution.

At the end of the training session, Vung Tau MRCC held a meeting to evaluate and learn from experience to perform well in the future.

Prior to the training day, one delegation of Vietnam MRCC (Centre) led by Mr. Nguyen Van Tinh, Deputy Director General of the Centre, came to inspect and check for Vung Tau MRCC's training, duty work, internal order, the readiness of SAR vessels, and team formation of officials and crew members./.