The Coast Guard Administration carried out a rescue drill in waters surrounding Itu Aba Island (Taiping Island, 太平島) in the South China Sea, it said yesterday.
The Oct. 28 exercise was conducted as part of the government’s commitment to transform the island into a base for humanitarian aid and supplies in the South China Sea.
The drill simulated a fire in the engine room of a Taiwanese-registered workboat under the scenario of a 20-member crew carrying out dredging work near Itu Aba, leading to some being injured while others escaped into the water, it said.
Photo: Chiu Chun-fu, Taipei Times
A team comprising several vessels, including the 4,000-tonne coast guard patrol ship Chiayi, took part in the rescue, the coast guard said, with uncrewed aerial vehicles flown to cast lifebuoys to those seeking help in the water.
An oil spill was also simulated, during which booms were used to prevent supposed oil from spreading into surrounding waters.
The coast guard said it was the first time that the Chiayi had participated in a drill, providing remote telemedicine via video consultation with doctors stationed on Itu Aba and in the Kaohsiung Armed Forces General Hospital.
Commissioned in April last year, the Chiayi is equipped with a medical facility that includes a surgery suite, a dental room, a burn center and a negative pressure area, the coast guard said.
A medical officer is also stationed on the vessel, which is responsible for handling the transport of supplies to Itu Aba and Pratas Island (Dongsha Island, 東沙島).
The coast guard said it would continue to plan and conduct humanitarian drills in the South China Sea as part of a commitment to making Itu Aba a base for humanitarian aid and supplies in the region.
Itu Aba Island, the largest of the naturally occurring Spratly Islands (Nansha Islands, 南沙群島) in the South China Sea, lies 1,600km southwest of Kaohsiung and is administered as part of the southern Taiwan municipality’s Cijin District (旗津).
It is one of the two territories controlled by Taiwan in the South China Sea, the other being Pratas Island, which lies 450km southwest of Kaohsiung.
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