Inter-agency collaboration facilitated the rescue mission following the sinking of the maritime research vessel Ocean Researcher V on October 10, but there are still significant lessons to be learnt, Vice Premier Mao Chi-kuo said today while convening a Central Disaster Prevention and Protection Commission meeting at the Executive Yuan.
In its report on the rescue, the Coast Guard Administration (CGA) stated that as soon as it learned of the shipwreck, it notified other agencies, including the Ministry of Transportation and Communications (MOTC), National Rescue Command Center, National Airborne Service Corps (NASC), Fisheries Agency, Environmental Protection Administration (EPA) and Ministry of Science and Technology.
The MOTC immediately set up the Central Emergency Operation Center (CEOC) to carry out the aerial and surface rescue mission, Mao pointed out. After personnel from various ministries and agencies were dispatched to the center, tasks were assigned based on their respective responsibilities and jurisdictions; search and rescue operations were executed; and information was shared via both horizontal and vertical communication, greatly raising the efficacy and efficiency of the overall effort.
Besides setting up an emergency response center, the CGA sent a frigate and four patrol boats to the rescue site and also called for airborne vessels to fly there. The Ministry of National Defense (MND) dispatched four frigates and nine helicopters, with the NASC sending one more helicopter.
Ultimately, all 45 people on board the Ocean Researcher V were accounted for, with 40 hauled in by the CGA frigate and five more lifted out of the sea by the MND's Seagull helicopters.
Although undertaking a night rescue in rough seas was a great challenge, the mission was nonetheless swiftly accomplished. Regrettably, two of the researchers on the vessel lost their lives in the process, however. This experience demonstrates the necessity that cross-ministerial collaboration be enhanced and consolidated with a standard operating procedure instituted, Mao stated.
The vice premier directed the MOTC to investigate and clarify the causes and facts of the shipwreck and told the EPA to continue monitoring the accident site to prevent marine pollution.
Mao noted that the central government has set up the CEOC six times since the flood season began this year: in response to Tropical Storm Hagibis, Typhoon Matmo, the TransAsia Airways Flight GE222 crash in Penghu, the Kaohsiung gas explosions, Severe Tropical Storm Fung-wong and now the Ocean Researcher V shipwreck.
Although these disasters still resulted in losses, deaths and injuries, agency collaboration in rescue efforts greatly minimized the damage, the vice premier affirmed. He expressed his gratitude to the staff of relevant ministries and local governments for their efforts and reminded them that even though the early-response-and-rescue stages have already come to a close, there still lies a long road ahead in the recovery and reconstruction process. He then urged all people to continue to work hard together for the cause.
The CGA also reported on the status and prospects of its promotion of regional search and rescue collaboration mechanisms, which include bilateral arrangements with mainland China, the Philippines, Japan and the United States. Mao affirmed this endeavor, saying regional rescue integration can raise the efficacy and efficiency of search and rescue work, and urged the CGA to continue building up these mechanisms based on humanitarian aid and practical experience. He then instructed the MOTC and other related agencies to offer their full support for the initiative, saying this will help win the ROC opportunities to participate in international affairs.