Cargo Vessel Sinks Off Vietnam; Crew Safely Rescued

An incident at sea occurred southwest of Vung Tau, Vietnam, when the Vietnamese-registered cargo ship Dolphin 18 sank on January 11. Fortunately, all 18 crew members aboard were successfully rescued.

At approximately 7:00 AM SGT, the Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre (MRCC) under the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) was alerted by the Hong Kong-flagged container ship Nicolai Maersk about a distress signal sent by Dolphin 18.

The cargo vessel was located roughly 274 nautical miles southwest of Vung Tau, Vietnam, within the Singapore Maritime Search and Rescue Region. Acting promptly, the MRCC coordinated search and rescue operations, broadcasting navigational alerts to nearby ships to stay vigilant and report sightings of the distressed vessel. Vietnamese maritime authorities were also notified of the emergency.

Nicolai Maersk quickly reached the location of the sinking and managed to rescue all crew members from Dolphin 18’s lifeboats. Reports confirmed that the rescued crew were safe and in good condition.

The container ship Nicolai Maersk is continuing its journey to its next port of call in Tanjung Pelepas, Malaysia, where the rescued crew will disembark.

Dolphin 18 was confirmed to have sunk. In response, MRCC Singapore issued additional navigational warnings, advising vessels in the area to exercise caution due to the submerged wreck.