The 93 meter long, 4400 dwt bulk freighter Sae Byol went aground off Haimao Island near Dalian, China. The Sae Byol suffered water ingress and the hull broke open. The crew contacted the Liaoning Sea Rescue which dispatched a helicopter to the scene. The 15 crewmen from the Sae Byol abandoned ship with 14 being rescued from a life raft. No further details reported.
The 112 meter long container ship Xing Tai 5 foundered off Shanghai, China. The vessel’s crew were able to send out a distress call before the container ship capsized and sank spilling crew and containers into the water. Eleven of the 16 crew were rescued. A nearby vessel pulled five crew from the water and a rescue helicopter lifted six others to safety. Authorities continue to search for the remaining five crew of the Xing Tai 5. Reports state over 20 containers were spotted floating on the water. The cause for capsizing was not reported.
On December 19, the 637 gt barge Heng Hong 168 capsized off Horsburgh Lighthouse, Singapore. The fishing barge had 11 crew members on board when it capsized. Six crew were able to reach the vessel’s liferaft and were later rescued. Singapore authorities dispatched multiple vessels and two helicopters in a search and rescue operation for the 5 missing crewmen. Four days later, one crewman was found drifting off Bintan Island by the Indonesian Coast Guard. The man was taken to hospital for treatment. Search for the remaining 4 crew are still ongoing.
