At 6:20 a.m. on July 12, the Xiamen-registered cargo vessel “Hongtai 613,” en route from Shanghai to Dandong, was passing through the waters near Chengshanjiao, Weihai. Chief Officer Zhang Chaokun, on duty in the wheelhouse, spotted a capsized small boat about 2 nautical miles to the port side. Three soaked survivors were standing on the overturned hull, desperately waving for help.
“Report to the captain immediately! Alert maritime authorities!”
At 6:21 a.m., Captain Wu Jianli rushed to the wheelhouse upon receiving the alert.
“I grabbed binoculars and saw them standing alone on the hull, water already up to their ankles, waving frantically. At that moment, there was only one thought in my mind—rescue them first!” Wu later recalled.
The ship-wide alarm was immediately sounded.
The chief engineer reduced speed at once. The chief officer led the duty engineer and sailors to the main deck, preparing the lifeboat and rigging a rope ladder. The third officer maintained communication with the maritime search and rescue center and the company. Even the cook sprang into action, preparing hot porridge, dishes, and freshly steamed buns to be sent to the wheelhouse, ensuring the survivors would have warm food the moment they were rescued.
At 6:36 a.m., the “Hongtai 613” successfully approached the distressed vessel.
Seeing this, the three survivors grabbed floating objects and jumped into the water. Chief Engineer Liu Weifeng threw lifebuoys toward them while the crew shouted encouragement: “Hang in there! Just a little longer!”
At 6:47 a.m., the first survivor was pulled aboard.
By 6:53 a.m., all three were safely on deck.
“They kept asking if there were others, handing out lifebuoys and helping with the ladder. I was too exhausted to speak, but I knew I’d met good people,” survivor Mr. Chen said tearfully.
Following instructions from local maritime authorities, the “Hongtai 613” diverted to Lidao Anchorage. At 9:10 a.m., the survivors transferred to a tugboat to go ashore. By 9:35 a.m., the “Hongtai 613” weighed anchor and resumed its original voyage to Dandong.
“We were supposed to reach Dandong by 8 p.m., but the detour added dozens of nautical miles, delaying our arrival until midnight. A slight delay in schedule and burning extra fuel are nothing,” Captain Wu said. “At sea, saving lives always comes first. The SOLAS Convention also mandates that vessels have a duty to assist those in distress. It’s instinct for sailors—it’s our mission!” (Note: SOLAS refers to the International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea.)
The “Hongtai 613” is operated by Xiamen Hongtai Shipping Co., Ltd. The shipowner, captain, and some crew members hail from Yingqian Village, Shijing Town, Nan’an, Quanzhou. With over 3,000 residents, more than two-thirds of the village work in shipping or fishing. It boasts 28 shipping companies and 162 commercial vessels with a total deadweight exceeding 4.26 million tons, earning it the nickname “Ship Village.”
In recent years, the Quanzhou Maritime Safety Administration, along with labor and union departments, has established a crew rights protection education base and a “Seafarers’ Home” in Yingqian Village to provide better support services. “We set up Fujian’s first ‘Red Seafarers’ Party Branch’ and partnered with the Nan’an Maritime Office to create a ‘Red Harbor’ for modern grassroots crew services,” said Wu Xiaomin, Party branch secretary of Yingqian Village.
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