The captain of a light yacht docked at Haikou Port in Checheng Township, Pingtung County, took 2 crew members out to sea last night. This morning, the yacht lost power in the Zhukeng waters. He called for assistance from a captain of an inflatable boat from Haikou Port. When the captain arrived, he found that the yacht had capsized. The captain, surnamed Liao, had fallen into the water and gone missing. Unable to find him, they first brought the two crew members back to the port and reported to the Haikou Security Check Office. The 8th Patrol Command Center was notified and dispatched relevant units for joint air, sea, and land searches, but by nightfall, they still had not found him.
At 8 o’clock this morning, the 6th Coastal Patrol Team of the Coast Guard Administration’s Haikou Security Inspection Office received a report from the captain of the inflatable boat. He stated that after the light yacht docked at Checheng Haikou Port in Haikou Village went out to sea, it lost power in the Zhukeng waters this morning due to tangled nets.
He drove an inflatable boat out of the port to assist, but upon arrival, found that the yacht had capsized. Of the three people onboard, two crew members were rescued, but the captain surnamed Liao was missing. After searching the surrounding waters to no avail, they returned and reported to the Security Check Office.
The 6th Coastal Patrol Team of the Southern Branch of the Coast Guard Administration said that the 8th Patrol Command Center dispatched the team, a mobile thermal imaging vehicle, the 14th Coast Guard Team of the Fleet Branch, applied for support from the 3rd Drone Team of the Southern Branch, the direct fleet “Patrol 9”, the Air Service Command, and the Checheng Subdivision of the Pingtung County Fire Department.
They also requested support from cage fishery operators for joint rescue efforts. In total, they dispatched 26 vehicles, 1 ship, 4 boats, 3 vessels, 2 aerial reconnaissance flights, and 2 drone flights, involving a total of 113 personnel. By nightfall, they still had not found him and will make full use of the crucial 72-hour rescue window to continue the search.