KHANH HOA, (Vietnam): Vietnamese maritime rescuers pulled a Chinese sailor with a life-threatening eye injury to safety on Friday (June 5) after his oil tanker sent out an emergency call off the coast of Khanh Hoa Province in south-central Vietnam.
The sailor, a 45-year-old Chinese national, was aboard the Liberian-flagged tanker TWIN POLLUX, which was transiting from China to Singapore when the workplace accident occurred.
He suffered a severe injury to his right eye with heavy bleeding, and the right side of his head went numb with intense pain. The ship's captain immediately requested emergency assistance.
Vietnam's Maritime Search and Rescue Coordination Centre received the distress call on Friday and established contact with the vessel. Centre staff provided medical guidance to crew members on board, walking them through first-aid and emergency care procedures while a broader rescue plan was set in motion.
Recognising that the sailor's life was at risk without urgent shore-based treatment, the centre directed the captain to head toward Nha Trang Ward, and coordinated with local authorities and the TWIN POLLUX's shipping agent on evacuation logistics.
At around 10am, the centre dispatched the dedicated search-and-rescue vessel SAR 273 from its berth in Nha Trang. The ship reached the TWIN POLLUX at noon.
A rescue team boarded the tanker, administered first aid and transferred the patient to the SAR 273.
The rescue vessel returned to Nha Trang's port at about 3pm, where the sailor was transported to Vinmec International General Hospital for specialist emergency treatment. - Vietnam News/ANN
