[Customs killed] Speedboat conducted anti-smuggling patrol and firefighting: no floating objects were found on the sea surface

Burst

Written by: Diwen Huang and Ding An

2020-01-22 01:13

At 9 o'clock last night (22nd), a Customs speedboat sank out of the sand bar just outside Longgu Beach in Tuen Mun. Five people on board fell into the sea. Two men and one woman were in a coma and were sent to hospital for treatment. Yu Wenyang, Divisional Commander (Marine Affairs and Diving) of the Fire Services Department, said that the customs vessel was about 11 meters long and no floating objects were found on the surface of the incident. The cause of the vessel's reversal still needs to be investigated. The three dead were unconscious when rescued, and all three wore life jackets. Assistant Customs Commissioner (Border and Port) Chen Zilian said that the shallow water patrol boat was launched in 2016, and the last routine inspection was in March 2019. For the death of three customs officers, it is very sad that the Customs will provide all feasible assistance to their families according to the existing mechanism.

The Assistant Commissioner of Customs (Border and Port) Chen Zilian (second from left) and the Divisional Commander (Marine and Diving) of the Fire Services Department (Wenyang and third) explained the incident. (Photo by Liu Dingan)

Fire fighters, two frogmen fell into the water, searched and rescued, and three people were unconscious when they were rescued

Yu Wenyang, Divisional Commander (Marine Affairs and Diving) of the Fire Services Department, said at 9:14 last night that a customs vessel was reversed two miles from the west of Hong Kong International Airport. Fire boats, four fire trucks and nine ambulances, a total of 72 people, including 12 divers, went to the accident scene to search and rescue.

The first fireboat arrived after 29 minutes. It was found that a 11-meter-long customs ship at the scene reversed. The firefighting sent two frogmen into the water for search and rescue. Three injured people were found in the cabin within 20 minutes. , Was immediately taken to a fire boat for first aid, and then transferred to the pier by the police liner and then sent to Tuen Mun Hospital for rescue.

A total of five injured persons were involved in the accident. Two of them were slightly injured. They were transported to the hospital by a police liner before the fire department arrived. Three persons were confirmed dead after being transferred to the hospital. In addition, one was slightly injured.

The vessel in question was routinely inspected last March

Assistant Commissioner of Customs (Border and Port) Chen Zilian said that the vessel involved was a shallow-water patrol boat. It left the Customs Stonecutters State Base at 6 pm yesterday and then conducted an anti-smuggling patrol operation near the sandbar. accident. The five officers included four men and one woman, aged between 27 and 43.

Chen Zilian pointed out that the relevant shallow water patrol boat was launched in 2016, and the customs will conduct regular inspections every year. The last regular inspection of the relevant vessels on March 2019. The Customs is very distressed at the death of the three customs officers. According to the existing mechanism, the Customs will provide all feasible assistance to the families.

Yu Wenyang, Divisional Commander (Marine Affairs and Diving) of the Fire Services Department, said that when the firefighters arrived, they could not see other floating objects on the surface of the sea. The cause of the anti-ship was unknown for the time being. Chen Zilian continued to point out that further investigation is needed to know the accident.

At about 9 p.m. on the 21st, the police received a report that a boat crashed and an unknown object sank out of the sand bar just outside Longgu Beach in Tuen Mun. Five people on board fell into the sea. Marine police arrived at the scene to rescue at least two people. Search and rescue are still ongoing, and the flight service team also sent helicopters to search over the sky. According to the latest news, 5 people have been rescued, of which 2 men were consciously sent to North Lantau Hospital; the other 2 men and 1 woman were unconscious and sent to Tuen Mun Hospital. However, they were certified dead in the early hours of today (22).

It is understood that the vessel involved was a customs vessel with a port number of CE13 and was a shallow-water patrol vessel. It was made in China and was pursuing interception at the time of the incident. After the accident, the entire ship was severely damaged and sank immediately. Sources said that the three dead customs officers were trapped in the "mortuary" after the accident and were rescued by the fire frogman about 40 minutes later. According to the Customs website, the tasks of shallow water patrol boats include the pursuit of smuggling speedboats and motor boats.

At half past midnight, Acting Chief Executive Zhang Jianzong, Director of the Security Bureau Li Jiachao, and Commissioner of Customs and Excise Deng Yihai arrived at Tuen Mun Hospital for information.

Crash Customs Fire Department