Fishermen in distress off Tonkin Gulf saved by China hinh anh 1Illustrative image (Source: VNA)
Beijing (VNA) – The Vietnamese Consulate General in Guangzhou on July 28 assigned two officers to the People’s Hospital in Sanya city, the Chinese province of Hainan, to visit Vietnamese fishermen who were in distress off the mouth of the Tonkin Gulf.

While working on the fishing vessel QNg 94764, nearly 25 nautical miles from the Sanya port of Hainan at 7:20pm on July 20, fisherman Ho Thao, 62, native to the central province of Quang Ngai, was unexpectedly hit by a cable. He later suffered traumatic brain injury, haemorrhage and fell into a state of coma.

After being informed by the Foreign Ministry’s Consular Department, the Vietnamese Embassy in China sent a diplomatic note to the Chinese Foreign Ministry’s Department of Consulate Affairs asking for support in search and rescue.

In the evening the same day, rescue boat NH203 accessed QNg94764 and took Ho Thao and three fishermen to the hospital.

At 5am on July 21, Thao underwent a three-hour surgery and on July 25, he recovered his consciousness but remains speechless.

Representative from the Vietnamese Consulate General to Guangzhou also expressed his deep thanks to the hospital and Chinese authorities for their timely search and medical support.-VNA
VNA