Sailor still missing from TP52 in China Sea
by Noah's Sailing Club on 28 Oct 2015
Sai Jun, missing crewmember from Ark323 Noah's Sailing Club
This statement replaces our previous story which, although received from a previously reliable source, contained a number of inaccuracies. We apologise for the errors.
Sai Jun, a crew member aboard Ark323 of Noah’s Sailing Club (NSC), was swept overboard from the boat when sailing near the Vietnamese coast at 2350h local time (1650h GMT) on 25 October.
The crew initiated “man overboard” procedures but were unable to locate the missing sailor at the coordinates of the accident. Sai Jun was wearing a lifejacket and a PLB (Personal Locator Beacon). NSC contacted Marine Rescue Coordination Centre in Hong Kong to track the PLB, but there was no active signal. The team made contact with relevant authorities in Vietnam and China, and a search and rescue operation was initiated. A Vietnamese military boat and several fishing boats were alerted. On the afternoon of 26 October a private helicopter hired by NSC joined the search but was obliged to land before dusk.
23-year old Sai, from Ningxia province, was the crew’s bowman and navigator. He joined Xiamen University Sailing Club and soon knew he wanted to spend his life sailing. In a recent newspaper interview he said: “There’s danger in everyday life, even when we cross the road. I want to be a sailor because I want to see the world. We need to take some risks sometimes'.
The rest of the young crew aboard Ark323 is safe and fine, but devastated. Today they’ll sail back to Nha Trang after two nights searching for their friend and colleague. The official search and rescue operation will continue with involvement of coast guards and sea rescue departments of Vietnam, China, Hong Kong and Singapore.
Ark323 had sailed from Nha Trang (Vietnam) on 25 October and was expected to arrive in Bali (Indonesia) in November. From there the crew would sail to Australia for the start of the Sydney-Hobart Race (26 December), and were aiming to be the first-ever mainland Chinese entry in the annual event.
The whole of NSC is saddened by this tragic accident, and are assisting Sai Jun’s family and providing them with updated information on the search and rescue operation. NSC wishes to thank all individuals and authorities involved in this operation.
The search operation continues in the hope that Sai Jun will be found.
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