China Coast Guard rescues Korean fishing vessel

The China Coast Guard successfully rescued a South Korean fishing vessel in distress in the East China Sea on Tuesday, which had eight fishermen on board, the CCG said on Thursday.

On Wednesday morning, the CCG handed over the rescued fishermen to the South Korean side, it said.

In a news release, the CCG said that at 5:31 pm on Tuesday, its front-line division in the East China Sea received a report that a South Korean fishing vessel was in distress in the region, with a ruptured hull and in a critical situation.

The division dispatched two vessels at full speed to the scene and simultaneously activated emergency response plans, coordinating with nearby ships for a joint rescue effort, it said.

At 6:21 pm, the first vessel arrived at the scene, located and confirmed the target, and promptly deployed two onboard law enforcement boats for the rescue.

Upon arrival, the second vessel maintained a security perimeter at the scene, broadcasting warnings to keep nearby vessels at a safe distance to prevent secondary incidents.

The news release noted that during the rescue, the fishing vessel's hull was breached and was taking on water, leading to a loss of power and posing a risk of capsizing.

As a result, the CCG vessels successfully transferred the eight stranded fishermen to safety onboard, providing them with water, food and other essentials, as well as conducting health checks, it said.

Currently, all personnel are safe and in good health.

On Wednesday morning, the CCG transferred the rescued fishermen in the waters where the incident occurred to the local maritime police agency of South Korea's Jeju province. On Wednesday, Oh Yeong-hun, the governor of Jeju province, made a special visit to the Chinese consulate general in Jeju to express gratitude for the CCG's rescue of the fishing vessel, according to the Chinese consulate general.