[Dreaming, Modernization, Jointly Drawing a New Vision, the Song of Laborers]

Original title: Endeavouring to make contributions to the blue sea

Guangming Daily reporter Ren Huan Yang Tongtong

The South China Sea, an important channel connecting the Pacific Ocean and the Indian Ocean, is an important strategic channel for marine energy and an important fishing ground for China, with about 50% of the world's merchant ships passing through it every year.

As a 9000 kilowatt high power marine rescue ship belonging to the South China Sea Rescue Bureau of the Ministry of Transport, the "Nanhai Rescue 115" has been stuck in the Xisha and Nansha waters of the motherland for a long time since it was put into use in May 2010.

In February 2018, the ship "Nanhai Jiu 115", which was on duty in the Xisha Sea area, received a distress signal. A 65000 ton foreign ro ro ship "GS" loaded with thousands of cars and worth nearly 1 billion yuan was stranded and damaged, and 23 crew members on board were in danger.

Danger is an order! After reporting to the superior and receiving the rescue order, Nanhai Jiu 115 quickly arrived at the incident area. The scene was full of rocks and the ship in distress was huge, which brought great challenges to the rescue work. The "Nanhai Jiu 115" and the rescue forces who came to the rescue quickly surveyed the scene, accurately calculated the towing force and the trajectory after the desalting, and formulated the towing plan in detail. Finally, with the joint efforts of all the crew, Nanhai Jiu 115 successfully towed the ship in distress to a safe sea area.

It is also necessary to enter Nansha to ensure the safety of human life and fulfill international obligations. In July 2018, "Nanhai Jiu 115", as China's first civil professional rescue force, entered Nansha and pushed the rescue duty area 500 nautical miles south again.

Since entering Nansha Islands and Reefs, all personnel on duty have overcome the harsh conditions of high temperature, high humidity, high salt, high radiation, etc., and put the strictest requirements and highest standards through the whole process of Nansha duty. "Nanhai Jiu 115" also cooperated with the reef stationed working group to elaborate and gradually improve the duty manual. The contents of the manual are comprehensive and highly operable, which promotes the institutionalization, standardization and normalization of Nansha duty work and provides the most direct work guidance for the subsequent rotation of Nansha duty forces.

In March 2023, the foreign freighter "FP" was drifting about 120 nautical miles southwest of Wan'an Beach, Nansha Islands due to the failure of the main engine and was in danger, with 21 crew members on board. After receiving the rescue order, the Nanhai Jiu 115, who was on duty in Nansha, immediately went to the scene for rescue.

At that time, when the cold air was coming, the sea conditions at the scene were bad, and the foreign cargo ships in drifting status were swaying in the wind and waves, which increased the difficulty of rescue. The crew of Nanhai Jiu 115 overcame such adverse conditions as strong wind, high waves and deep water. After nearly 10 days of hard and unremitting efforts, they crossed the north and south ends of the South China Sea and successfully towed the cargo ship in distress to the safe waters of the Pearl River Estuary, with a towing voyage of nearly 1100 nautical miles. This rescue set a record for the southernmost and farthest rescue since the establishment of the South China Sea Rescue Bureau!

Strive hard and make contributions to the blue sea. As of January this year, "Nanhai Jiu 115" has successfully completed 10 batches of 903 day Nansha duty tasks, carried out 38 rescue missions in Nansha, rescued 10 ships in distress and 280 people in distress, giving full play to the key role of professional rescue forces in the Nansha rescue system. "Nanhai Jiu 115" has effectively guaranteed the safety of life and property and the cleanness of the marine environment at Nansha Sea by taking practical actions, earnestly fulfilled the obligations of international conventions, helped build the South China Sea into a sea of peace, friendship and cooperation, and established a good image of the national professional rescue team as "professional, dedicated and responsible".

Over the years, the rescue crew of Nanhai Jiu 115 often stayed away from their relatives and worked 24 hours a day on the dull sea. "Nanhai Jiu 115" made full use of the resources of the duty station, actively carried out patriotism education, revolutionary tradition education and joint learning activities, and provided a strong political and ideological guarantee for the maritime duty work. The ship party branch also cooperated with the trade union and the Youth League branch to guide the crew members to give play to their own advantages and actively create a healthy working and living atmosphere. The crew said, "We will obey and follow the Party, firmly guard the southern gate of the motherland, and let the party flag fly high in the blue land!"