Critically ill foreign sailor rescued by Vietnamese maritime team

The Vietnam Maritime Search and Rescue Coordination Center, under the Vietnam Maritime and Waterway Administration, confirmed on Sunday that it had launched an emergency rescue operation for a foreign crew member who fell seriously ill aboard the Marshall Islands-flagged cargo ship RAMHAN.

According to the ship’s captain, Panjanathan Elanchezhiyan, born in 1993 and serving as a third engineer, developed a series of alarming symptoms, including alternating fever and chills, dizziness, elevated blood pressure and impaired behavioural control.

Recognizing the seriousness of the situation, the captain issued an urgent request for medical assistance, according to the Vietnam Government Portal.

Upon receiving the distress report, the center quickly activated its emergency response procedures.

The center also established medical consultations and provided instructions to the vessel on administering initial first aid.

However, the sailor’s condition continued to worsen, making it imperative to transfer him ashore for specialized medical care.

Under the direction of the administration, the center dispatched the dedicated search and rescue vessel SAR 273 from its standby station in the south-central province of Khanh Hoa Province at 8:48 am on Sunday.

Throughout the operation, the rescue team maintained close coordination with the RAMHAN and relevant authorities and agencies.

Efforts focused on ensuring the patient’s safety and minimizing the time required to bring him ashore.

At around 9:30 am, SAR 273 reached the cargo ship and its crew began providing initial medical assistance to the ailing seafarer.

After completing the necessary procedures, the rescue team safely evacuated him from the RAMHAN and transported him towards the mainland for handover to the relevant authorities.

At 10:54 am, the Vietnamese rescue ship arrived at a pier in Khanh Hoa’s Nha Trang.

The patient was rapidly taken to a hospital in the province for further examination and treatment.