People Rescued As Boat Runs Aground
Crew of a China-registered fishing vessel were rescued on Thursday night after it ran aground at the entrance to the Suva Harbour.
Officials from the Fiji Maritime Surveillance Rescue Coordination Centre (FMSRCC), Volunteer First Responder (VFR) and Police co-ordinated the rescue of “more than 10 people” on the Lu Rong Yuan Yu 168 from late Thursday night to early yesterday.
The vessel belonged to Weihai Hengyuan Fishery Company Limited.
FMSRCC tweeted about the rescue operation after the vessel ran aground, saying people required rescuing.
VFR conducted a drone operation and rapid medic response for persons injured and the National Fire Authority assisted with the ambulance to transport people on board to the hospital.
A fibreglass boat operator, Mosese Vuli, who helped the Fiji Sun team to get to the vessel said he was in the harbour when the vessel ran aground.
He said officers from the Fiji Police Force rescued the people from the vessel and took them to shore. “There must have been more than 10 on board when the incident happened,” Mr Vuli said. Maritime Safety Authority of Fiji (MSAF) chief executive officer John Tunidau, who is currently in England, said he was not aware of the incident and was yet to receive a report on it. Edited by Epineri Vula