Hong Kong
CNN
—
A rescue team from mainland China rescued a ship’s crew Broken in half They sank during Typhoon Saba early on Monday – hours after their counterparts in Hong Kong said it would take a “miracle” to find any more survivors.
A dozen people The Chinese engineering ship Fujing001 – with 30 crew members – sank 300 kilometers (185 miles) southwest of Hong Kong on Saturday as the typhoon hit southern China with winds of 144km/h (89.5 m/h).
Hong Kong’s government flying service pulled three people to safety on Saturday, but hope that more survivors would be found faded after the service said the likelihood of that happening was “very, very low” on Sunday evening.
However, hours later, southern China’s Guangdong Maritime Search and Rescue Center announced that it had rescued a fourth crew member – who was described as being in “normal physical condition”.
Guangdong officials said they had found what they believed to be the remains of 12 more crew members, and that the identities of the bodies were still being confirmed.
A fourth crew member was found after the search resumed on Sunday. The search was called off on Saturday night due to bad weather, which made it too dangerous for rescue teams, Hong Kong’s maritime department said.
“The chances of any crew members still being alive are very, very slim,” Hong Kong State Flying Service Controller West Wu Wai-hung told a press conference on Sunday, after his service rescued the three crew members.
“We want to give our hearts to the families of the missing sailors and workers, and I wish we could find some survivors, it would be a miracle to do that.”
The following day, the Guangzhou Naval Base confirmed that a fourth crew member – described as a deckhand – had been rescued alive and that arrangements were being made to transfer the man ashore.
All three crewmembers rescued by Hong Kong’s flying service are described as being in a stable condition and receiving treatment at the North Landau Hospital.
The 240-meter (787-foot) vessel – described by Chinese officials as a “floating crane” – was being used to help build a wind farm off the coast of southern China when Sabah struck.
As of Sunday, three fixed-wing aircraft, six helicopters and 36 rescue personnel were deployed for a search operation covering a radius of 1,300 km (807 miles), Hong Kong’s flying service said.
The Guangdong Maritime Search and Rescue Center said it deployed seven rescue vessels, as well as salvage, merchant and coast guard vessels.
The center said it has also coordinated with China Southern Airlines to send rescue helicopters.
“Friend of animals everywhere. Devoted analyst. Total alcohol scholar. Infuriatingly humble food trailblazer.”