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While performing marine patrol at noon on August 26, officers of Patrol Sub-unit 2 of Marine West Division (MWDIV) spotted flames and thick clouds of smoke billowing from a vessel off Tsing Chau Wan. The police launch swiftly arrived at the scene to render assistance. After being told by an emotional man on the blazing vessel that his family members and crew members were trapped inside the cabin, the MWDIV officers realised that they must waste no time in rescuing the trapped persons as soon as possible.
Station Sergeant Ah Wing recollected, “We could not do nothing while waiting for the fireboats. It’s our mission to safeguard the safety of citizens. Facing such a dangerous situation, we must stay calm and try our utmost to rescue the victims safely.” After boarding the burning vessel to gain a brief understanding of the situation, Ah Wing deployed Police Constable Ah Chung, who was clad in a fire-resistant protective suit and equipped with breathing apparatus, to edge towards the closed cabin and smash the windows one by one, releasing dense smoke from the cabin, while other teammates on the police launch tried to douse the blaze with fire hoses.
Ah Chung recalled, “The man was very emotional and refused to leave the burning vessel. As he was extremely worried about the safety of his family members and crew members, I suggested entering the cabin to rescue the trapped persons. After assessing the situation, our Station Sergeant did not give me the permission to go inside the cabin, as doing so would put my life in peril.” Ah Wing closely monitored the situation and noticed the temperature of the vessel was gradually going up. As it would be dangerous to stay on the vessel, Ah Wing and Ah Chung rescued the man from the vessel on fire decisively and arranged for him to stay on the police launch.
The teammates calmed the man down and called his wife, who confirmed that all family members and crew members had already left the vessel in the morning while the man was asleep. Upon confirming the potential victims were safe and sound, the good news took a load off every teammate’s mind. Later, other police launches and fireboats arrived at the scene and extinguished the fire. Though the vessel was almost burnt down, the man and his family members greatly appreciated the Police for offering a helping hand in the critical moment.
Marine Police perform sea patrol round the clock. In case of fire or emergency incidents in the waters, police launches often arrive at the scene first. Police Constable Ah Chun, who participated in marine firefighting for the first time, described the experience as unforgettable. “We could not just sit and wait for the fireboats to arrive. In the face of a life-threatening situation, we must race against time to contain the fire and save lives. This is the professionalism and uniqueness of marine police work. I never took part in firefighting before I joined Marine Region,” he said.
Senior Police Constable David, who has rich experience in maritime policing, explained that possessing a thorough understanding of various equipment and operational details was of paramount importance to a Marine Police officer in a sea rescue operation. “Every second counts when saving lives at sea. This successful rescue operation is really a result of our daily seamanship training and practices, which polish our skills to perform every step deftly, enabling us to timely appraise the situation and take appropriate firefighting actions to control the fire and rescue the man. On the other hand, we always share our experience after each operation, so as to pass on our knowledge to colleagues,” he said.
