Guangdong Maritime Safety Administration announced on the 28th that maritime authorities in Huizhou, Guangdong successfully rescued 6 people in diving distress in the waters of the Huizhou wind farm.

According to reports, at 6:43 on the 28th, the Huizhou Maritime Emergency Search and Rescue Center received a report that 6 people had gone out to sea by speedboat for diving and, due to heavy winds and waves, had drifted with the boat to the waters of the Huizhou wind farm, where they were trapped on wind turbine "No. 043" and urgently needed rescue.

Rescue scene. Photo courtesy of Huizhou Maritime Safety Administration

The Huizhou Maritime Safety Administration promptly dispatched nearby search and rescue forces to the waters where the incident occurred to rescue the trapped persons in distress. Duty officers at Huizhou VTS (Vessel Traffic Service) coordinated the tugboat "Detong" and the wind farm operation and maintenance vessel "Hangxiang 202" near the incident waters to proceed at full speed to the wind farm waters for the rescue, and requested CGN (Huizhou) New Energy Co., Ltd. to suspend power generation at wind turbine "No. 043" to prevent the blades from rotating and striking the rescue tugboat during the search and rescue operation.

At 9:40 that day, the vessel "Detong" arrived at the waters where the incident occurred. With high winds and rough seas on site, the rescue tugboat "Detong" adjusted its position multiple times, and at 10:20, rescue personnel successfully transferred all 6 persons in distress to the "Detong", where the 6 were in stable condition. At 13:35, the "Detong" safely berthed at the heavy-cargo wharf of Huidong Pinghai Power Plant.

The persons in distress successfully rescued. Photo courtesy of Huizhou Maritime Safety Administration

It is understood that the Shenzhen-registered speedboat "Baitong 668" departed at about 5 p.m. on April 27 with 6 people on board (including 1 driver) from Yangmeikeng in Dapeng New District, Shenzhen, heading to Shenzhen waters for diving activities. At about 8 p.m. that evening, when the group was preparing to sail back, an extremely heavy rainstorm suddenly struck, and the wind at sea instantly reached Force 8; the vessel became uncontrollable and drifted with the waves. At about 2 a.m. on the 28th, the vessel was battered by wind and waves into the waters of the Huizhou Port wind farm, and the 6 people on board climbed onto wind turbine "No. 043", with 1 of them injured during the climb. As the wind and waves continued to intensify and sea conditions became extremely severe, the persons in distress, in a state of panic, called the maritime emergency number.

The maritime authorities call on the public to learn about maritime weather and sea conditions before going to sea, choose licensed vessels, and wear life jackets properly. In case of distress on the water, please call the national maritime distress and rescue hotline "12395" as soon as possible.