Determined to save the fishermen
For more than 30 years wearing the green uniform, Major Nguyen Chi Ton has been in charge of search and rescue work. Facing many difficulties and dangers, he and his teammates are increasingly aware of their responsibility to ensure the safety of people's lives and property.
Recalling the successful rescue of a fishing boat and 10 fishermen from Ba Ria - Vung Tau province 5 years ago, Major Ton said: That day, the unit received a report from fishermen from Ba Ria - Vung Tau province that 2 boats were in distress about 17 nautical miles from Tran De estuary. The unit dispatched a vehicle with me as captain and 10 officers and soldiers to the rescue. Due to big waves and strong winds, it took nearly 8 hours to reach the distressed boat.
When he arrived, a fishing boat was broken by the waves and 10 fishermen fell into the sea. He immediately ordered the officers and soldiers on the boat to jump down and use all their trained skills to rescue the 10 fishermen safely onto the boat, no one was injured and towed the remaining boat safely to shore.
“We always try to find a way to get to the scene of the accident as quickly as possible. Because arriving just a few seconds earlier would give us the chance to save many people or a ship that is in danger of sinking,” said Major Ton.
Major Ton shared that the most difficult tasks are search and rescue operations at night or in bad weather, with strong waves hitting the ship. Just a small mistake can make everything complicated.
“There were many cases where it took a long time to reach the ship in distress, and it seemed like there was no hope. However, all members were determined and quickly implemented plans. As a result, the fishermen were rescued and the ship in distress was towed to a safe place, and then everyone breathed a sigh of relief. Thanks to that, the trust of fishermen and local people in the officers and soldiers of Squadron 2 increased day by day,” said Major Ton.
As one of the people rescued and brought safely to shore by the officers of Squadron 2, Mr. Le Van Pho (Tien Giang province) shared - on October 4, he and 5 crew members were transporting construction materials when the ship broke in half and sank. Everyone put on life jackets and jumped into the sea waiting for help, drifting at sea for several hours before being rescued by the officers of Squadron 2 in time.
“When we went to sea, the hope of survival was very slim, but unexpectedly we survived to return to our families and children. We were given another chance to live thanks to the officers and soldiers of Squadron 2,” Mr. Pho said emotionally.
Ready to respond
Major Tran Hoang Thai - Captain of Squadron 2, Soc Trang Provincial Border Guard - said that in recent years, the weather has been complicated and unpredictable, affecting traffic and business at sea, causing damage to machinery, equipment, and sinking of fishermen's boats. Implementing the direction of the Party Committee and the Provincial Border Guard Command, Squadron 2 Command always maintains a crew of 6 officers and soldiers at the wharf, ready to mobilize for rescue and relief at sea when situations arise.
“Before each storm season, the unit organizes training to improve rescue skills on rivers and at sea for officers and soldiers of the entire unit. When a storm or low pressure occurs near the shore, the unit will deploy 100% of its troops, ready to deploy according to orders from superiors; organize a 24/7 search and rescue watchtower to receive information related to natural disaster prevention, control, and search and rescue from fishermen working on the sea,” Major Thai informed.
Major Thai added that Squadron 2 also did a good job of being ready to fight to protect the sovereignty of Soc Trang province's seas; patrolling, controlling, and fighting against smuggling and commercial fraud at sea; and disseminating laws, policies, documents, and regulations to fishermen. Thereby, affirming that Squadron 2 is always a reliable support for fishermen in the province's sea border areas.
