Why has the search for 9 Nghe An fishermen and their sunken fishing boat yielded no results?
(Baonghean.vn) - The group of divers could only dive down to 48 meters before having to return because they did not have enough oxygen tanks, while the location of the sunken fishing boat was at a depth of 65 meters, so they could not approach the fishing boat and find the fishermen.
The moment of reunion of 7 surviving crew members with their relatives after the shipwreck
(Baonghean.vn) - Reuniting with their loved ones 5 days after the accident at sea, 7 fishermen could not hold back their tears of happiness, mixed with sadness as their 9 fellow fishermen were still lying cold in the deep sea.
Discussing the search for 9 Nghe An fishermen missing in the Gulf of Tonkin, Mr. Nguyen Manh Dung - captain of ship SAR 411, Vietnam Maritime Search and Rescue Coordination Center said that on the afternoon of June 28, after receiving the information, the unit deployed search and rescue plans.
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| Mr. Nguyen Manh Dung - captain of ship SAR 411, Vietnam Maritime Search and Rescue Coordination Center said that approaching the location of the ship in distress is very difficult. Photo: Pham Bang |
“During the first few days, due to high waves, we mobilized many means of transport, fishing boats, and even asked Chinese vehicles and helicopters to search the sea, but there were no results,” said Mr. Dung.
By the time the SAR 411 rescue ship arrived at the scene, 10 fishermen (including 1 deceased) had been picked up by the cargo ship Pacific 01. The fishermen only suffered minor injuries but were very confused and worried about their relatives who were still at sea. After being rescued aboard the ship, the crew members were in stable health, with only external injuries.
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| The crew members' health has stabilized, but they are psychologically very confused. Photo: Pham Bang |
"The difficulty for the rescue team is that the area where the ship sank is far from the mainland. The nearest point is Bach Long Vi Island, also 35 nautical miles away, across the demarcation line between Vietnam and China. This sea area has a very great depth of 65m," said Mr. Dung.
The Vietnam Maritime Search and Rescue Coordination Center hired a team of 5 divers, who were present at the scene from the evening of July 1 and the morning of July 2, this team began going into the sea to search for the crew members.
According to the captain of the SAR 411, at around 8am on July 2, the group of divers approached the sunken ship from two points, each dive lasting 30 minutes. At the first line, they went down 20m and got caught in a net. The divers tried to dive down to 48m but their oxygen tanks were not enough and they had to return to the surface.
The second line was not entangled in the net, but divers were still unable to reach the ship because it was at a depth of about 65m.
"According to information from rescued crew members, at the time the ship sank, about 13 people were floating on the water. Therefore, it is highly likely that there are still about 6-7 people trapped inside the ship."
Regarding the rescue plan for the missing crew members, Mr. Dung said that with the current depth, it is similar to some previous similar cases. In order to dive and retrieve the missing crew members, it is necessary to prepare adequate equipment and suitable weather conditions to ensure safety.
"Before going ashore to take shelter from the storm, we located and marked the location of the sunken ship, not losing track and will continue to search for the fishermen with the greatest effort when weather conditions permit," Mr. Dung affirmed.
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| Crew member Dinh Trong Hau cried when he reunited with his two children and mother. Photo: Pham Bang |
Due to the low pressure strengthening into storm No. 2 and bad weather at sea, from the afternoon of July 2, the search forces had to retreat to shore to ensure safety.
At the same time, 9 crew members who were rescued many days ago while participating in the search for missing people with the authorities were also brought ashore by the SAR ship of the Vietnam Maritime Search and Rescue Coordination Center, returning to their families.
At approximately 1:00 p.m. on June 28, 2019, the Pacific 01 ship collided with the fishing boat NA 95899 TS (with 19 crew members on board) at coordinates 19032.334N; 107042.263E, approximately 32 nautical miles south of Bach Long Vi Island and 14.5 nautical miles from the demarcation line of the Gulf of Tonkin on the Chinese side. After that, the Pacific 01 ship lowered a lifeboat to rescue 9 crew members, 1 crew member died, 9 people went missing.
Due to the location of the sunken ship being over 65m deep, the capacity and means of the civil search and rescue force are difficult to meet the diving requirements to search for the crew members in distress. In light of this reality, the Ministry of Transport has requested the National Committee for Natural Disaster Response and Search and Rescue and the Ministry of National Defense to support the necessary measures to carry out the search for the crew members who may be trapped in the sunken fishing vessel.
Recently, Deputy Prime Minister Trinh Dinh Dung has signed an official dispatch requesting ministries, branches and localities to mobilize forces and means to resolutely implement measures to search and rescue 9 missing fishermen. The Ministry of National Defense continues to coordinate with the Ministry of Transport to organize the search for missing fishermen; promptly mobilize forces and means to participate in the search and rescue.
