25 people all rescued, two cargo ships in danger in the Guanhekou area of Lianyungang, Jiangsu. Lianyungang Maritime Search and Rescue Center | Lifejackets | Guanhekou, Lianyungang, Jiangsu
From the night of August 27th to the day of August 28th, most coastal areas in northern Jiangsu experienced strong winds with an average wind speed of 9 and gusts of 10 to 11. The reporter learned from the Lianyungang Maritime Search and Rescue Center that in the early hours of the 28th, two ships were in distress in the Guanhekou area of Lianyungang, and all 25 people were successfully rescued.
At 0:20 am on August 28th, the "Zhenghe 9" ship carrying 5000 tons of iron ore reported to the Lianyungang Maritime Search and Rescue Center. Due to the influence of strong winds and waves, its cargo hold and engine room were flooded, causing the ship to sit shallow. Ten people on board immediately put on life jackets and gathered in the cockpit, preparing to abandon the ship. However, the lifeboats could not be released due to strong winds and urgently needed rescue. After receiving the alarm, the Lianyungang Maritime Search and Rescue Center quickly activated the emergency plan and coordinated the Lianyungang Maritime Bureau's patrol boats, the East China Sea Rescue Bureau's rescue ships, and nearby tugboats to rush to the scene for rescue. At around 2:50, the "Donghai Rescue 112" ship arrived at the scene first after two hours of full speed sailing. Due to the strong winds and waves at sea, with northerly winds of 8-9 levels and a wave height of 3 meters, the "Donghai Rescue 112" vessel was unable to approach the "Zhenghe 9" vessel. Therefore, the "Donghai Rescue 112" vessel continued to guard the scene. The B-7357 rescue helicopter of the East China Sea Rescue Bureau flew from Sheyang General Airport to the incident area as soon as it met the takeoff conditions, and successfully rescued all 10 people in distress at 8:47 am. The follow-up disposal work is still ongoing.
At 5:50 am on August 28th, the "Huahai 601" ship carrying 6000 tons of nickel ore reported to the police, stating that the ship was seriously tilted and was in danger of sinking at any time. There were a total of 15 people on board, requesting assistance. After receiving the alarm, the Lianyungang Maritime Search and Rescue Center quickly activated the emergency plan, requiring all personnel in distress to wear life jackets and prepare for abandoning the ship. Considering the urgency of the ship's situation, the Search and Rescue Center coordinated with the East China Sea Rescue Bureau's "East China Sea Rescue 112" ship, which was carrying out other search and rescue tasks nearby, to prioritize going to the scene for rescue. Due to the northerly winds of 8-9 levels and wave heights of 2-3 meters at the scene, the complex sea conditions have posed great difficulties for rescue ships to connect with distressed vessels. After multiple communication and coordination between the two sides, at 6:54 am, the "Donghai Rescue 112" ship promptly safely took over all the crew members in distress from the left rear deck of the "Huahai 601" ship. Two hours later, the "Huahai 601" wheel capsized and sank. The cause of the accident is currently under investigation.