Officers save six crewmen in hazardous operation
In the early hours of Tuesday, December 7, a sand barge collided with a Mainland trading vessel east of Tung Lung Chau, an island about 2 500 metres east of Hong Kong Island. The 75-metre sand barge, Runze 001, which was carrying 14 crew members, capsized after colliding with a 50-metre Mainland vessel, Huijinqiao 08.
Upon receiving a distress message, Sergeant (SGT) Law Wing-hong, together with five other officers onboard two Small Boat Division Fast Pursuit Craft, immediately rushed to the scene and commenced a search and rescue operation with other marine police resources. Eventually the offices plucked six crewmen from the sea after a perilous operation.
Talking about the rescue, SGT Law recounted exactly what happened that morning: "In the early hours of Tuesday morning, we were off the east coast of Sai Kung conducting an anti-smuggling operation. All I remember was the strong freezing easterly wind blowing through my body and the dark open seas with the occasional four to five metres swells crashing over the bow of my boat, completely soaking me and my crew. Suddenly the sound of the sea was interrupted by a radio message of a ‘capsized vessel with its crew overboard'. Without any hesitation, I vectored both my boats towards east of Tung Lung Chau.
"As my boats got closer to the capsized vessel, I realised the urgency of the situation as the searchlight was trained on a cluster of survivors, who, without any lifejackets, were grapping a life raft with waves pounding their heads. As we manoeuvred closer, it was difficult to control our boats in the rough sea and I was afraid the operation would become more hazardous. We finally used rescue lines to pull seven men onboard our boats, but unfortunately one of them died later."
Also taking part in the search and rescue operation were vessels, aircraft and divers from Marine Department, Fire Services Department and Government Flying Service.
The Small Boat Division
officers taking part in the search and rescue operation