Crew Rescued After Cargo Ship Sinks Off Vietnam Coast

a cargo ship listing and capsizing at sundown
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Updated Published

All 10 crew members aboard the cargo ship Cong Thanh 07 were safely rescued after the vessel capsized near Son Duong Port in Vietnam, according to the Vietnam Maritime Search and Rescue Coordination Center. Although the crew showed signs of hypothermia and fatigue, they were otherwise in stable condition.

The distress call came in on the evening of May 25 at approximately 9:10 PM local time, reporting that the ship was taking on water. The vessel went down shortly after, around six nautical miles off the coast near Son Duong Port.

Upon confirming the emergency, rescue ship SAR 631 was immediately dispatched. The operation was carried out under challenging weather conditions, including rough seas with 3–4 meter waves, intense rainfall, and limited visibility.

By around 11:00 AM on May 26, SAR 631 made contact with a nearby vessel that had already rescued three crew members. Shortly thereafter, the SAR team located and retrieved six more sailors, bringing them aboard in a state of physical exhaustion and suffering from exposure. One crew member had sustained injuries and was given first aid treatment on site.

Nine of the rescued mariners were delivered safely to local authorities at Vung Ang Port in Ha Tinh Province by 4:30 PM. The final crew member, who had drifted further from the wreck, was recovered later that same day—about 17 nautical miles from the original site—by another passing vessel.

Both the Vietnam Maritime Administration and the Ha Tinh Provincial People's Committee commended the rescue teams for their quick and effective response under such difficult conditions.