Taiwan has been searching for a chief officer who was reported overboard from a Vietnamese bulk carrier. The chief officer was one of four Vietnamese crew members who fell from the supramax VIMC Sunrise off Mailiao on October 17.
According to local media, Typhoon Nisha greatly contributed to accident, while the ship was carrying out anchoring operations in the late afternoon.
After the four seafarers fell overboard, their fellow crew threw them life buoys. Three were rescued, but the chief officer has not been found.
From those rescued, they had suffered injuries including two broken feet and a broken hand.
Taiwan’s coast guard has sent a patrol boat and a helicopter to the scene, but strong winds made the initial rescue difficult, and the search resumed the next day.
As for the rescued men, the port authority in Mailiao reported that they were taken to hospital in Kaohsiung.
