All crew members of MV CÔNG THÀNH 07 were safely brought ashore.

At 16:30 on May 26, 2025, the specialized search and rescue vessel SAR 631 handed over 09 rescued crew members of m/v CÔNG THÀNH 07 to the competent authorities at Vũng Áng Port, Hà Tĩnh.

As previously reported, at 21:10 on May 25, 2025, the Vietnam Maritime Search and Rescue Coordination Center (the Center) received a distress alert: m/v CÔNG THÀNH 07 (Vietnamese nationality, 3199 DWT, carrying coal from Hòn Gai, Quảng Ninh to Hòn La, Quảng Bình) in position 18-08.5N 106-29.7E, approximately 06 nautical miles northeast of Sơn Dương Port, Hà Tĩnh, at a depth of around 30 meters; flooded, listed to port side and sunk. Weather conditions in the area included northeast winds at Beaufort scale 6–7, wave heights of 3–4 meters, and rough seas.

SAR 631 came alongside Vũng Áng Port Pier, Hà Tĩnh, to safely bring the crew members of the CÔNG THÀNH 07 vessel ashore.

Immediately after receiving the information about m/v CÔNG THÀNH 07, the Center verified the information and deployed SAR 631, which was on standby in Hà Tĩnh, to depart from the pier and commence the mission to search and rescue for the missing crew members. A search and rescue area was planned, and participating vessels were assigned search tasks at the scene under the on-scene command of SAR 631. Due to worsening weather conditions at the site, including heavy rain and restricted visibility, the search and rescue operations were extremely challenging.

At 03:30 on May 26, 2025, fishing vessel QB 93176 TS rescued one crew member, Đỗ Sỹ Thường (position: Chief Officer, born 1978, native of Diêm Điền, Thái Thụy, Thái Bình), in position 17-52N 106-35E, approximately 17 nautical miles southeast of the distress position.

"All crew members on board were wearing life jackets and left the vessel around 9:00 to 9:30. I was the last to abandon the vessel and was lucky to hang onto a rigid self-floating liferaft of the vessel," said Mr. Thường.

At 11:00 on May 26, 2025, fishing vessel QB 91468 TS detected and safely rescued three crew members who were drifting at sea.

Search and Rescue forces supported in bringing the victims ashore

Based on collected information, the search and rescue forces assessed the situation and developed flexible search plans appropriate to actual conditions. By 11:27 on the same day, SAR 631 found and safely rescued the remaining six crew members of the distressed vessel who were drifting at sea. SAR 631 then approached the fishing vessel QB 91468 TS to receive the three previously rescued crew members and transfer them to SAR 631. The crew members were brought aboard SAR 631 in an exhausted and hypothermic condition; among them, one crew member sustained a serious injury and received first aid and intensive medical care from the rescue personnel.

At 16:30 the same day, SAR 631 safely brought all 09 crew members ashore at Vũng Áng Port, Hà Tĩnh, and handed them over to the competent authorities.

Mr. Hoàng Hồng Giang, Deputy Director General of the Vietnam Maritime and Waterway Administration, and Mr. Trần Báu Hà, Vice Chairman of the Hà Tĩnh Provincial People's Committee, were present to welcome SAR 631 and to oversee the handover and the deployment of subsequent tasks.
Mr. Hoàng Hồng Giang appreciated and praised the efforts of the maritime search and rescue forces in completing the mission under adverse weather conditions. He also directed relevant agencies to implement measures to prevent marine environmental pollution promptly and requested that the shipowner ensure the rights and benefits of the rescued crew members. Mr. Trần Báu Hà expressed his joy that all crew members were safely rescued without any loss, and appreciated the critical and effective role of SAR standby operations in the locality.

Deputy Director General Hoàng Hồng Giang discussed the handover procedures with the competent authorities.

Representatives from the Vietnam Maritime and Waterway Administration and the People’s Committee of Hà Tĩnh Province directly visited and encouraged the rescued crew members.

According to preliminary calculations, the crew members, after abandoning ship, had been drifting in adverse weather conditions at an average speed of approximately 3 nautical miles per hour (equivalent to 5 km/h), in an area where wind-current drift patterns are highly complex. All 10 crew members of the CÔNG THÀNH 07 vessel were found and rescued after being adrift for many hours, demonstrating the accuracy and experience of the maritime search and rescue planning team. This also stands as clear evidence of the efforts made by the on-scene rescue forces and the effectiveness of the "four-on-the-spot" principle in search and rescue operations./.

Representatives of the Vietnam Maritime and Waterway Administration and the People’s Committee of Hà Tĩnh Province commended and presented gifts of encouragement to the search and rescue forces.