Crew Rescued from Foreign-Flagged Vessel in South China Sea

Rescuers in Guangdong recently came to the aid of a cargo boat stranded in the South China Sea, China News reports. At around 4am on March 6, a crew of 24, including 10 foreign nationals, were rescued from the foreign-flagged vessel on the waters near Shantou’s Nan’ao Island.

The Transport Ministry's South Sea Rescue Division, which was responsible for the rescue operation, was alerted to the ship’s dire situation – stranded and caught in stormy seas 17 nautical miles from the nearest shoreline – at 1.57am.

Prior to the crew’s extraction at 4am, a previous rescue attempt was called off after rescuers arriving at the ship's location were unable to draw near due to high waves and rough weather. 

At 9.20am, all crew members of the stricken ship were safely transported to dry land at Nan’ao Island. 

According to Xu Weigou, who led the operation, crew members were exhausted by the time his team arrived, which added to the difficulty of the rescue. According to the South Sea Rescue Division, the vessel has been stranded since February 27 but, until Tuesday, had decided to opt for self-rescue. 

[Images via China News]