TAIPEI (TVBS News) — Taiwan's Ministry of National Defense (MND) confirmed Tuesday (Dec. 26) that two of six rescuers dispatched to assist a Hai Hu ("Sea Tiger") submarine incident have fallen overboard, with one still missing and the other rescued by a navy vessel.
Chief of Naval Staff Wu Li-ping announced that the Sea Tiger, which embarked on a mission from Dec. 18 to Dec. 29, encountered unusual noise on Dec. 21 caused by the wooden cover of the rear rescue buoy falling off. The buoy surfaced and pulled the connected 300-meter steel cable
Responding to this, Wu said that initially, four people were sent to retrieve the items. The track's width, however, was less than one meter and became narrower, causing the crew to be swept off by surge waves. The crew was fortunately tethered by safety lines, preventing immediate falls into the sea.
Later, three people fell overboard, including the two currently being searched for, while the other was luckily tethered by a safety line. Upon seeing this, the weapon's chief also came to assist but was hit by surge waves. He fell into the sea and was later rescued by a navy vessel.
In the third wave of rescue attempts, six rescuers were dispatched, totaling 11 people sent for the mission.
Currently, the three rescued and four others injured have been treated at Zuoying Armed Forces General Hospital.
While initially emotionally distressed, their conditions are now stabilizing, Wu said.
Search and rescue operations continue even beyond the golden rescue period of 72 hours, with the search area expanded every four hours based on ocean currents.
"We will not abandon the search for anyone," Wu Li-ping emphasized. "All my soldiers are like family; we will not abandon anyone's rescue."