Four sailors from the Philippines have been rescued following their ship being left adrift at sea since January 23, with the vessel eventually being detected close to Son Ca island.

Fisheries Surveillance Team No. 4 stated on January 25 that the sailors had been successfully rescued from the sea by a Vietnamese fishing boat QNg97079TS.

The victims include Ednor Villacino, 30, Rolly Baleso, 30, Rommel Evan, 32, and Eraed Dayot, 41, all of whom are crewmembers aboard the Athan fishing boat of the Philippines.

Issues for the vessel started on January 23 when the four sailors got lost whilst fishing on their own. After a search operation, the group were found afloat at sea approximately 24 nautical miles southeast of Son Ca island.

Upon detecting the vessel, the Vietnamese fishing boat then sent a request for an emergency rescue to the centre before handing over the victims to local authorities on Song Tu island for treatment.

With the rescue mission proving a success, novel coronavirus (COVID-19) prevention and control measures were also strictly conducted throughout the process.