Vietnamese patrol boat crew, Good Samaritans rescue two adrift fishermen off Spratlys

Patrol boat crews of the Vietnam Fisheries Resources Surveillance (VFRS) and residents of a Vietnamese-occupied island in the northern Spratlys have rescued two fishermen who had gone adrift in nearby waters on the evening (local time) of Tuesday, November 9.

The crew of the VFRS vessel KN 464 located and rescued one castaway off Southwest Cay Island at around 20:00 on Tuesday while they were conducting a routine patrol of the area.

The second survivor was pulled out of the water later that same evening after eyewitnesses on Southwest Cay found him drifting just off the coast.

The two survivors have been identified as Filipino nationals. Both were the sole occupants of a fishing boat that suffered engine trouble while they were sailing off Sin Cowe East Island earlier on Tuesday.

The Filipino fishermen said that they fell overboard after their boat was struck by strong waves.