All 34 people rescued from sinking tourist boat in north-central Vietnam

Lieutenant Colonel Phan Xuan Luan, a political officer of Thien Cam Border Guard Station, told Tuoi Tre (Youth) newspaper on Sunday morning that the unit, in coordination with Thien Cam Commune authorities and local fishermen, successfully rescued all 34 people from the sinking boat.

At approximately 7:20 pm on Saturday, heavy rain and strong squalls hit the coastal area of Thien Cam. Many boats were unable to return to shelter in time.

The tourist boat owned by Nguyen Trong Hoang was heading back to shore when it was struck by large waves and capsized near Boc Island, about 0.5 nautical miles from the Thien Cam coast.

At the time of the incident, the boat had four crew members and 30 tourists on board participating in a squid-fishing tour. 

When the vessel sank, all aboard were wearing life jackets and jumped into the sea to await rescue.

Upon receiving the distress call, the Thien Cam Border Guard Station quickly deployed rescue teams and coordinated with local authorities to mobilize large fishing vessels in the area to reach the scene and carry out the rescue.

The rescue operation was extremely challenging due to heavy rain, rough seas, and the fact that it occurred at night.

By around 12:30 am on Sunday, all passengers and crew had been safely brought ashore by a high-powered fishing vessel.