On Thursday morning, a spokesperson for the Da Nang Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre (Da Nang MRCC) said its rescue ship 412 had promptly saved a sick fisherman, and had brought him safely back to Da Nang for treatment.

Doctors from the city’s Emergency Centre 115 giving initial first aid to the sick fisherman

At around 3.00pm on 9 April, the Viet Nam MRCC received an SOS message from crew members onboard fishing boat QNa 91944 TS from Quang Nam Province.

Accordingly, 57-year-old captain Hoang Van Tao was reported that he had suffered from a stroke with severe headache symptoms, and his whole body had been immovable.

At that time the vessel was fishing at latitude 15°29’N and longitude 113°48’E, about 85 nautical miles southeast of the Bong Bay Island in the Hoang Sa waters.

After receiving the SOS message, Viet Nam MRCC immediately helped the boat’s crew members to contact doctors from the city’s Emergency Centre 115 to ask for first aid instructions.

According to the centre’s medical workers, the victim was in a very critical condition, and he faced a significantly higher risk of dying or permanent paralysis without medical treatment in a timely manner.

Therefore, the Viet Nam MRCC asked the Da Nang MRCC to send out its rescue ship SAR 412, carrying doctors from the city’s Emergency Centre 115, to help the sick fisherman.

At 8.00am on 10 April, SAR 412 reached the fishing boat and the sick fisherman was, then, transferred to the rescue ship for initial first aid. At that time, the victim’s health condition got worse, and he was in a deep coma.

At around 8.10pm on the same day, the victim was safely brought back to the mainland for medical treatment at the Da Nang General Hospital.