Crewmembers rescued from sunken vessel Dolphin 18 to return home soon
VOV.VN - Eighteen Vietnamese crewmembers rescued from Vietnam-registered sunken freighter Dolphin 18 have safely entered Malaysia and are going to return home soon, according to the Vietnamese Embassy in Malaysia.
The Hong Kong registered container ship Nicolai Maersk, that rescued the crewmembers in distress, arranged necessary services for the crew to enter Malaysia and is assisting with procedures to repatriate them to Vietnam, said the embassy.
The Dolphin 18 suffered engine failure amid severe weather conditions, including strong winds and rough seas, in the waters, about 274 nautical miles south-west of Vietnam’s Vung Tau coast, on January 11.
The freight vessel issued an emergency distress signal and sank shortly afterwards.
The Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) confirmed that its Maritime Rescue Coordination Center (MRCC) received an emergency call from the Nicolai Maersk within Singapore’s Search and Rescue (SAR) region.
MRCC coordinated rescue efforts immediately, issued maritime alerts to nearby vessels, and notified its Vietnamese counterparts.
Receiving the emergency distress signal, the Nicolai Maersk was the first to arrive at the scene, rescuing all 18 of the Dolphin 18’s crew members, who were already in their lifeboats.
The rescued sailors were said to be in healthy conditions and later disembarked from the Nicolai Maersk at the next port of call in Tanjung Pelepas, Malaysia.
