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Drama in rough seas as crew from sunken ship rescued in central Vietnam

By Hoang Tao, Giang Huy   October 11, 2020 | 06:02 am PT
Seven crew members and a fisherman were rescued in dramatic fashion Sunday, three days after a cargo ship was swept away in stormy waters.
Military forces on Sunday have sucessfully brought to safety all eight people, including one fisherman, left stranded around 400 meters off the coast of Trieu An Commune of Trieu Phong District in Quang Tri. Around 3 a.m. on Thursday, the cargo vessel Vietship 01 of Hanoi-based logistics firm Vietship was washed away by floods when it was docking at the port of Cua Viet. Since the middle of this week, the entire central region, including Quang Tri, have been hit hard by torrential rains, causing serious flooding. In some areas, houses have been submerged almost four meters under water. At least eight people have died, seven are missing and 20,000 have been evacuated from their homes. When the ship got into the accident, there were 12 crew members, all men, on board. Due to heavy rains, strong winds and rough seas, the vessel gradually got sunk, leaving them stranded at sea.

A final rescue effort mounted by military forces saved eight people after they had been stuck in rough seas around 400 meters off the coast of Trieu An Commune, Trieu Phong District, Quang Tri Province.
Around 3 a.m. Thursday, cargo vessel Vietship 01 of a Hanoi-based logistics firm was swept away as it was docking at the Cua Viet Port. This happened as the entire central region, including Quang Tri, was reeling under serious flooding caused by days of torrential rains.
The ship had 12 male crew members on board when it was swept away. The heavy rains, strong winds and rough seas made it difficult for rescue efforts and the vessel sank to the bottom in shallow waters, leaving the crew stranded at sea. Four crew members who had fallen off made it safely to the shore on Friday and Saturday.
The final act of the rescue operations took place Sunday after provincial authorities enlisted military help including helicopters. Since the ship sank in shallow waters about 400 meters off the shore, hundreds watched the drama unfold over the last four days.
Families member of the fisherman react when seeing him jumping into the water, holding a circular buoy, battling against the strong waves to get back on shore. The fisherman belonged to a team that had come to rescue to crew members of Vietship 01 on Saturday. After the accident, task forces have colloborate with local fishermen for the rescue mission but two fishing boats had all sunk before it could reach the cargo ship and in all cases, fishermen had no other choices but swimming back to the shore.Colonel Le Van Phuong, head of the Quang Tri’s Border Guard, said the weather conditions were harsh and with the high waves and strong winds, it was difficult for modern vessels to get close to the stranded ship and therefore we have to rely on rudimentary boats and experiences of fishermen for the mission.

A relative bursts into tears and is consoled after watching a fisherman jump off the ship into the rough waters, holding a circular buoy. The fisherman was part of a team that had tried to rescue the crew of Vietship 01. After the accident, local fishermen were requested for help, but two fishing boats sank before it could reach the cargo ship, leaving the rescue team with no choice but to swim back to the shore. One of them, who had managed to get to the ship, was the one who jumped off.
Colonel Le Van Phuong, head of the Quang Tri Border Guards, said the weather conditions were harsh and with the high waves and strong winds, "it was difficult for modern vessels to get close to the stranded ship so we had to rely on rudimentary boats and experienced fishermen for the mission."
Aside from the fisherman, another crew member also jumped into the sea. While the other six were stuck at the cabin, the duo had been holding onto the bow of the cargo vessel and suffered more winds and sea waves.The Vietnam Coast Guard personnel use a boat save the two but they encounter a technical problem and faile to sail it.

A crew member of the ship had also jumped into the sea. The duo had been holding on to the bow of the cargo vessel and suffered directly the brunt of the wind and waves.
The Vietnam Coast Guard personnel got on to a boat a boat to save the two, but they encountered a technical problem and failed to sail it.
30 minutes after the boat’s failure, Tu, the Vietship 01 crew member, almost reaches the shore himself.

About 30 minutes after the failure to launch the boat, Tu, the Vietship 01 crew member, got close to the shore.
He faints just before the coast guards reach him. By the time he is rescued, Tu has spent more than three days stranded at sea, lacking access to food and water.

But he fainted just before the coast guards reached him. Tu had spent more than three days stranded at sea, lacking access to food and water, when he was rescued.
Three members of the Vietnamese navy’s special force rush out to drag the fisherman to the shore. The group has to struggle in the sea due to the strong waves, which at times send them to 800 meters away from shore.

Meanwhile, three members of the Vietnamese navy’s special force rushed out to drag the fisherman to the shore. The group were swept away repeatedly to as far as 800 meters away from shore, but they managed to get back to safety after a tense hour and a half.
After one and a half hour, the fisherman is brought safely to land and immediately sent to emergency aid as watched by hundreds of local people.

The fisherman was rushed from the shore to be given emergency aid as hundreds of locals watched from a distance.
The remaining six men were rescued by a military helicopter. The helicopter flew to the area, sending down a lifeguard to take those men up. The lifeguard has to struggle with the strong winds to reach the cabin every time he drops himself. By the time this rescue mission took place, storm Linfa formed by a tropical depression is heading straight to the central region of Vietnam. The storm has made landfall late Sunday morning in Quang Nam and Quang Ngai Province.

Six men still on the ship were rescued by a military helicopter. The helicopter and its crew had to brave strong winds and rough seas as they lifted the men up from the ship in a daring operation. As the rescue mission took place, storm Linfa was heading straight to the central region. It made landfall late Sunday morning in Quang Nam and Quang Ngai provinces.
he helicopter turns around immediately to bring the men it rescues to emergency aid.

The helicopter turns around to take the men it rescued to the shore for emergency first aid.
A scene during one of the rescue flight. Four flights have been conducted during this mission.

A lifeguard gets a crew member into the helicopter. Four flights were conducted during this mission.
By 9:15 a.m., all stranded men have been brought to safety. But the owner of Vietship 01 then reported one missing crew member. The report came just in time when there is news about a male body washed ashore in Hai An Commune, Hai Lang District of Quang Tri. It has later been confirmed that the victim is one of the 12 crew members on Vietship 01. He is a native in southern Long An Province, aged 45. It is not yet clear if he jumped into the water or being washed by the strong waves. Of the 12 crew members stuck on the vessel, four had already made it to safety after falling into waters on Friday and Saturday. The remaining seven were all rescued on Sunday morning.

By 9:15 a.m. Sunday, all stranded men had been brought to safety. But the owner of Vietship 01 then reported one missing crew member.
Sadly, it was confirmed later that a body washed ashore in Quang Tri Province’s Hai An Commune, Hai Lang District was that of the 45-year-old missing crew member, a native of the southern province of Long An. It was not clear if he had jumped into the water or fallen as the ship was being swept away.
 
 
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