February 16, 2026 (the 29th day of the Lunar New Year), the Vietnam Maritime Search and Rescue Coordination Center successfully rescued a seriously ill foreign crew member on the oil tanker GULF LOYALTY while the ship was sailing through the waters of Khanh Hoa province.

At 23:28 on February 15, 2026, the Vietnam Maritime Search and Rescue Coordination Center (under the Vietnam Maritime Administration, Ministry of Construction) received information from the oil tanker GULF LOYALTY (Marshall Islands nationality, 316,373 tons), en route from Singapore to China. When the ship was approximately 100 nautical miles southeast of Nha Trang ward (Khanh Hoa province), a crew member of Georgia nationality (born in 1999) was seriously ill, experiencing prolonged swelling and a complicated health condition.

After receiving advice from the Italian International Maritime Medical Support Center that the patient needed to be brought ashore for emergency and specialized treatment as soon as possible, the captain of the GULF LOYALTY contacted and requested emergency rescue assistance from the Center.

Upon receiving the information, the Center coordinated with relevant agencies to organize remote medical consultations, guiding the ship on implementing initial care and treatment measures to stabilize the patient’s condition before rescue forces arrived. Simultaneously, the Center implemented an emergency response plan, coordinating with the ship’s agent, Nha Trang Maritime Port Authority, Border Guard at the port, and local authorities to prepare for receiving and providing medical support upon bringing the patient ashore.

The center reported to the National Civil Defense Committee and the Vietnam Maritime and Inland Waterways Administration, agreeing on a plan to guide the GULF LOYALTY vessel to the Nha Trang area as quickly as possible, and simultaneously dispatching the specialized search and rescue vessel SAR 273, stationed in Nha Trang, to the scene to carry out the mission.

SAR vessel 273 receives crew members in distress at sea.

At 8:00 AM on February 16, 2026, the SAR 273 vessel approached the GULF LOYALTY ship off the coast of Nha Trang. The rescue team quickly deployed first aid and initial medical care measures, and transferred the injured crew member to the SAR 273 for transport ashore. At 9:18 AM the same day, the SAR 273 safely docked at the Central Port in Nha Trang. The injured crew member was handed over to representatives of the ship owner and local authorities, and promptly transferred to Vinmec Nha Trang International General Hospital for further specialized treatment.