A fishing vessel capsized and another ran aground on a reef on February 9 near the Hoang Sa (Paracel) Islands.

In all, 11 fishermen from the two vessels were rescued by a ship SAR 412, from the Regional Maritime Search and Rescue Coordination Centre No II in Da Nang (Da Nang MRCC), at about 8am on February 10.

In the first incident, a vessel with registration number BD 95427 TS of Binh Dinh province, captained by Tran Kim Chung, sank at 4pm on February 9, leaving all five crew members afloat in a substitute ‘basket boat'.

Another vessel carrying six people, with registration number BD 95569 TS and also of Binh Dinh province, ran aground on a reef almost at the same time. Its captain was Tran Van Quoc.

Phan Xuan Son, the captain of the rescue ship, said that the 11 fishermen from the two vessels were in good health, despite battling the huge waves and cold wind.

Communications with them was maintained, he said, adding that his ship will transport only the fishermen home and will leave the two vessels behind.

In another development, sources from Da Nang MRCC reported they had dispatched another ship to rescue an injured fisherman from a vessel 80 nautical miles offshore Da Nang on February 9.

Fishing vessel DNA 3427 TS, with Doan Van Mau as the captain, earlier called the rescue centre and reported that a crew member named Tran Cong Diep, 31, of Da Nang, had tripped and fallen over the propeller. Mau added that Diep was unconscious and asked for an immediate rescue service from the centre.

The rescue ship - SAR 274 – set off with two doctors on board and reached the fishing vessel at 9.30pm.

The doctors provided first aid to the victim, who was said to be in critical condition and having breathing difficulties. By 1am the next day, the rescue ship reached the shore and Diep was taken to a hospital immediately.