The Government Flying Service (GFS) of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region（HKSAR）government provided rescue assistance to seven crew members of the Taiwanese fishing vessel "Haiyuan" in waters near Hong Kong today (December 14, 2005). The Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) expresses its gratitude for GFS’s assistance.
According to our understanding, Haiyuan contacted Taiwan’s Taipei Maritime Rescue Coordination Center (MCC) on December 13, 2005 to request emergency assistance. In accordance with the vessel's reported position, MCC contacted the Hong Kong SAR government to request rescue assistance for the Haiyuan, which had encountered an accident in the waters off Dongsha Island. A GFS team conducted a search immediately that evening. However, it was already too dark to locate the vessel. The search team finally spotted the Haiyuan at 7:00 a.m. on December 14, 2005. The vessel was situated 119 nautical miles southeast of Hong Kong's Waglan Island. When the fishing boat was discovered, it had been seriously flooded with water and was on the verge of capsizing. GFS saved all seven crew members from drowning and transported them to Princess Margaret Hospital, Kwai Chung in Hong Kong for medical examination. The crew members were found to have only slight injury. The fishing boat’s company has contacted its contracted company to take them back.
The MAC expresses its gratitude to the Hong Kong SAR government for its assistance in rescuing the Taiwanese fishing boat crew, and pays its highest respects to the GFS for carrying out the difficult rescue mission.
The MAC indicated that the Taiwan Coast Guard Administration provided assistance in rescuing the Hong Kong-registered fishing vessel "Zhudan 5442" in August 2004. The boat capsized and sank in rough seas en route to Keelung Harbor during Typhoon Aere. Based on a humanitarian position, Taiwan and Hong Kong provided mutual rescue support so that fishing vessels and crews from the two areas can receive rapid and effective assistance. These two cases are examples of mutual assistance and mutual beneficial cooperation between Taiwan and Hong Kong. We hope that both sides can build toward even closer friendship ties on the foundation of such cooperation.