All Rescued People were Within the Search and Rescue Area as Previously Forecast - the First Institute of Oceanography of the Ministry of Natural Resources (FIO, MNR) Provided Comprehensive and Accurate Ocean Forecasts to Support the Rescue of the Sunken Ship in Cambodia on September 22
At 10:30 a.m. local time on September 22, 2022, a fishing boat carrying 41 Chinese citizens sank due to a sudden malfunction near the vicinity of Sihanoukville Autonomous Port in Cambodia. At the time of the accident, 18 people were rescued while 23 others fell into the water and went missing. Cambodia was actively conducting search and rescue operations. At 6 p.m. on the evening of September 23, the emergency forecasting team of FIO provided the Cambodian side with the first search and rescue area map for the missing persons who fell into the water. Since then, the emergency forecasting team of FIO started to provide an updated search and rescue area forecast for the Cambodian side every 6 hours. As of 6 p.m. on September 24, FIO had provided 5 sets of search and rescue area maps for the Cambodian side. Maritime search and rescue generally need to be conducted within a circular area centered on the accident location. After considering the effects of ocean current, Stokes drift, and wind field, drift prediction was carried out for the person overboard, which can reduce the search area to less than 10% of the original area. This greatly improved the targeting of search and rescue and provided critical technological support for on-site operations. As of 1:30 p.m. local time on September 24, a total of 30 people had been rescued, with 3 dead and 8 still missing. Nine people who fell into the water were rescued in Vietnamese waters. The locations where these people were rescued were all within the forecast search and rescue area, indicating the accuracy of the prediction system.
Furthermore, at the request of the Cambodian side, FIO, MNR had been providing high-resolution forecast products of wind fields, waves, and ocean currents for the search and rescue area since 6:00 p.m. on September 23. This provided comprehensive meteorological and oceanic information to support on-site search and rescue efforts and the development of related plans. In the earlier stages, based on its independently developed wave-induced mixing theory and the world's first wave-current coupling forecast model it developed, FIO collaborated with several Southeast Asian countries in developing the "Southeast Asia Ocean Environment Forecast and Disaster Early Warning System." The system has been integrated into the official website of the IOC Sub-Commission for the Western Pacific (WESTPAC) of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), providing daily forecast products for the entire Southeast Asia Sea Area. Supported by multiple international cooperation research projects, the "Emergency Response System for Maritime Accidents in Southeast Asia" was developed. This system responded quickly during the search and rescue operations for the sunken ship accident, providing professional and accurate predictions and forecasts and playing a pivotal role as a core technology. Based on FIO's solid technological foundation of the ocean forecasting system development and construction, the United Nation's Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development has recently approved the large-scale scientific project of "Ocean to Climate Seamless Prediction System" led by FIO, which will provide stronger technological support for sustainable development of the ocean and response to climate change.
Map of the Primary Search and Rescue Areas for Survivors of the Shipwreck in Cambodia on September 22 for the Next 5 Days
Wind Field Forecast for the Search and Rescue Area at 12:00 (UTC) on September 24, 2022
(The red five-pointed stars in the picture are the location where the shipwreck accident occurred, the same below)
Significant Wave Height and Wave Direction Forecast for the Search and Rescue Area at 12:00 (UTC) on September 24, 2022.
Surface Current Forecast for the Search and Rescue Area at 12:00 (UTC) on September 24, 2022.