After receiving an SOS message at 6:40am on 23 March from fishing boat DNa 90159 TS, the Zone II Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre (Da Nang MRCC) sent out rescue ship SAR 412 to help a sick crew member.

According to the boat owner, 42-year-old fisherman Ho Tan Vinh was suffering from acute lower abdominal pains whilst the vessel was fishing at sea about 190 nautical miles off Da Nang’s coast. 

Crew members of the rescue ship with the patient

Twelve hours later, the  SAR 412 arrived on scene with 2 doctors from the Da Nang MRCC and the city’s emergency centre.  By that time, Mr Vinh was in a critical condition with tachycardia, acute pain, and swelling of his abdomen.

At 0:45am yesterday, the patient arrived back at the Da Nang MRCC for further treatment.