Sea rescue profession

(Baonghean)- "When there is a storm, big waves and strong winds, the ships all run to shore to find safe shelter, but for us, if we receive a distress signal, we immediately run out to sea," said a member.rescue on ship SAR 274 confided.

Urgent every hour, every minute

Early morning of July 17, storm No. 2 made landfall in Nghe An, the ship VTB 26 anchored near Hon Ngu island only had time to send a distress signal before suddenly capsized in the middle of the sea. Upon receiving the news, the Vietnam Maritime Search and Rescue Coordination Center (VMRCC) immediately dispatched two search and rescue vessels from the Maritime Search and Rescue Coordination Center Region I based in Hai Phong City and the Maritime Search and Rescue Coordination Center Region II based in Da Nang City to the scene to coordinate with forces of Nghe An province, fishermen and cargo ships to carry out the mission.

VMRCC search and rescue vessel searches for missing crew members of ship VTB 26 in Cua Lo waters. Photo: Thanh Duy

During those days, we had the opportunity to board SAR 274 - one of the rescue ships to witness and record the urgent rescue work. Mr. Nguyen Nhu Dai - a member of SAR 274, originally from Nam Phuc commune (Nam Dan). Standing on the deck of the ship, the man with gray hair and dark skin looked tensely at the canoe carrying divers approaching the location of the capsized VTB 26 about 100 meters away.

He said: “The Maritime Search and Rescue Coordination Center Region II, headquartered in Da Nang, operates from the southern boundary of Ha Tinh province’s waters to the southern boundary of Binh Dinh province’s waters. However, this time, VMRCC dispatched SAR 274 to Nghe An waters to coordinate with SAR 411 of the Maritime Search and Rescue Coordination Center Region I, which operates from the southern boundary of Ha Tinh province’s waters to the end of Quang Ninh province’s waters to coordinate the search for the crew of the VTB 26.”

“Early in the morning of July 17, after receiving the dispatch order from the center in Hanoi, we immediately moved to coordinate the search and rescue work in time,” said Mr. Dai. Sharing more about his job, the simple man with a Nghe accent said that he used to work on a cargo ship, but then fate brought him to the search and rescue profession at sea. 11 years of working in this special profession is also the same amount of time that he has often faced many storms and dangers, together with his colleagues, contributing to bringing joy to the reunion of many families of workers at sea. It is impossible to count how many cases he has directly participated in, most of which are fishing boats of fishermen in the Central region with broken machinery, fishermen having accidents at sea, etc.

Mr. Dai confided: “This time, the search and rescue operations in Cua Lo were carried out under very good weather conditions. As for us, about 50% of the search and rescue operations at sea are very dangerous because we always face big waves and strong winds.”

During the days we were directly present at the VTB 26 Search and Rescue Command Center stationed in Cua Lo, we met Mr. Nguyen Van Tinh - Deputy General Director of VMRCC. Present from the first day of receiving information about the VTB26 accident, Mr. Tinh was the one who directly discussed and exchanged search and rescue coordination plans with the province's coordinating forces. Sometimes on shore, sometimes on the ship, the tall man with a resolute voice always kept abreast of the situation.

Mr. Tinh shared: “The specialized maritime rescue team, we accept to go in extremely difficult weather conditions, with strong winds and waves to arrive at the scene in time. There are many rescue plans, prioritized in order of arrangement. To save the lives of the crew, we urgently work every hour, every minute”. Despite the hardship and danger, those who do rescue work overcome it all, because for them the greatest happiness is to witness the smiles and overwhelming emotions of the reunion between the victims who were rescued on the vast ocean with their loved ones.

The silent sacrifices

Behind the work of the rescuers at sea, few people understand their silent sacrifices. That is the incomplete meals and sleep. The day we boarded the SAR 274 ship, after a morning of searching, the officers and crew invited us to have a quick lunch. Captain Nguyen Van Hoa, originally from Quynh Luu district (Nghe An) shared honestly that with his comrades on the sea missions, it is very difficult to have a decent meal because the work often involves facing big waves, strong winds, and strong ship shaking.

Each person doing the rescue work also sacrificed a lot of their own personal interests. Captain Hoa and mechanic Dai, although from Nghe An, since participating in the rescue at Cua Lo, they have not had time to visit their families who live only a few dozen kilometers away.

Mechanic Nguyen Nhu Dai - SAR 274 said that he still has his old mother and brothers and sisters in his hometown in Nam Phuc commune (Nam Dan). However, since the day he followed the ship to Cua Lo, he only had time to call home to ask about his mother's health and everyone in the family. "When the search and rescue mission is over, the ship will be sent back to Da Nang. The return home is a missed appointment!" - Mr. Dai confided.

Mr. Nguyen Nhu Dai - member of the SAR ship (right) talks with reporters. Photo: Thanh Duy

Continuing Mr. Dai's story, Mr. Nguyen Minh Tuan, 36 years old in Thanh Khe district, Da Nang city, also a member of the SAR 274 ship, shared that phone calls reporting sudden sea trips have become familiar. Currently, Mr. Tuan has a wife and 2 children, the older one is nearly 3 years old, the younger one has just turned 3 months old, but he does not have much time for his family. Especially during the period from July this year to January and February next year, which is the rainy and stormy season, the sea is rough, so ships and boats get into trouble and need a lot of rescue. They almost have to move constantly, with some rescue trips lasting nearly half a month.

“When my wife was pregnant with our second child, I was taking her to the supermarket. As soon as we got to the gate, there was a phone call for help, so I had to let her take a taxi home. My wife and children have to be really understanding. Before we got married, I told her about the nature of my job so she could understand,” Tuan confided.

“The ship is home, the ocean is homeland, human life is above all” - the slogan truly reflects the life, work and great sacrifice of those who do search and rescue work. Because out there, in the vast, deep blue ocean, you are the hope of ships and crew members in times of danger.

Thanh Duy