Happy and sad first sea trip of the year

(Baonghean.vn) - "If it weren't for the timely rescue of the Border Guard force, we don't know where our ship would have gone. The kindness of the officers and soldiers of the provincial Border Guard is the motivation for us to overcome difficulties and hardships to stay at sea with peace of mind...", that is what the captain of the fishing boat NA90509STS Nguyen Van Toan (residing in Quynh Phuong ward, Hoang Mai town) shared when he had just safely docked at port.

Timely response

Talking about his unlucky trip, Toan said: On the 5th day of Tet, we decided to set sail for the first sea voyage of the year and planned to return before the 15th day of the lunar calendar in time for the ancestors' death anniversary. On February 15, the first two nets went smoothly, but on the third net, the main engine suddenly got flooded with cool water, causing it to die. The crew tried to fix it but failed, and pulling the net up became difficult and dangerous. Because if not pulled carefully, the net would break and get tangled in the propeller, which could lead to the death of both engines.

Rescue ship of Squadron 2, Provincial Border Guard towed the distressed fishing boat to shore (photo: Phuong Linh).

“Knowing that it was impossible to repair, we decided to ask nearby fishing boats to send an Icom to the Border Guard Command Center for emergency assistance. During the waiting time, the crew members felt extremely worried and sad,” said Toan.

Immediately upon receiving the distress call from the fishing boat in distress, the Provincial Border Guard Command promptly directed the coastal border guard units to coordinate with local authorities to announce on the mass media about the fishing boat in distress at sea to come and assist and search and rescue. On the other hand, the Nghe An Border Guard Command mobilized the rescue ship BP 06.19.01 and 15 officers and soldiers of Squadron 2 to urgently launch the search and rescue mission. Only 15 minutes after receiving the order, the rescue ship BP 06.19.01 of Squadron 2, Nghe An Provincial Border Guard quickly weighed anchor, headed straight for the fishing boat in distress, cutting through the waves to find it.

Provincial Border Guards visited, encouraged and gave gifts to the crew members on the ship in distress. (Photo: Phuong Linh).

After traveling more than 80 nautical miles and more than 10 hours at sea, the rescue ship finally reached the location where the fishing boat was anchored. It was 0:15 a.m. on February 16, the weather was cold and freezing, but the rescue ship still decided to approach the side of the ship. However, things were not simple. Due to big waves and gusts of wind at level 7 and 8, the approach was extremely difficult. Struggling in the middle of the night, after more than an hour, the officers and soldiers finished fixing the rope and began to tow the fishing boat back to shore.

Sharing his feelings at that moment, Captain Le Van Linh said: “When we received the signal from the fishing boat, all the officers were extremely happy, feeling as if they had been relieved of all their fatigue. However, due to the big waves and strong winds, the rope broke 4 times on the way, and we had to fix it again. If we had counted slowly for about 6-7 hours, no one would have guessed what would happen to the fishermen’s boat.”

Can't be far from the sea

Captain of the fishing boat in distress Nguyen Van Toan (middle) shared his feelings with Nghe An newspaper reporter when he was rescued by the Border Guard force during an accident at sea.

Despite having just experienced the disaster at the beginning of the year, Captain Nguyen Van Toan's eyes were still not shaken or afraid. Born into a family with a tradition of going to sea, young captain Nguyen Van Toan (born in 1984) was already experienced with the waves and dangers of the sea. After many years of following his father to sea, in 2015, he decided to borrow money and pool capital with 4 other people to buy a fishing boat with a capacity of 190CV, investing in fishing gear with a capital of more than 1 billion VND. With his boldness and luck, many sea trips brought him and his crew members heavy catches of fish.

Not only is Toan a good fisherman, he is also an experienced captain. During his 5 years as captain, he has commanded many fishing trips to different fishing grounds. "We consider the sea our home, our flesh and blood, so no one has the thought of giving up. After repairing the engine, we will continue to go to sea, continuing to make a fortune on the sea that our ancestors sacrificed their blood and bones to protect," Toan said.

The crew on board are urgently repairing the engine to go out to sea, stick to the sea, and contribute to affirming the sacred sovereignty of the sea and islands of the Fatherland.

That is not only Toan's belief but also that of many fishermen in Nghe An. Because everyone understands that behind fishermen there is always great support and assistance from the Party, the State and especially the Border Guard force. Timely rescue actions will be a great source of encouragement for fishermen to confidently go to sea in the unpredictable weather as well as the complicated security situation at sea as it is today.

Lieutenant Colonel Phan Van Xuan, Squadron Leader, Squadron 2, Nghe An Border Guard said: As long as a fisherman is still at sea, we are always ready to monitor and support when needed. Because when fishermen are still at sea, they are the important cores along with the functional forces to protect the territorial waters and sovereignty of the Fatherland./.

Pham Bang