Binjiang Police Affairs
Chapter 135 - 114 Saving People and Saving the Boat_2

Chapter 135: Chapter 114 Saving People and Saving the Boat_2

The reason he wasn’t allowed to go up was for fear that he wouldn’t be able to come down later.

The ship was too cold.

The firefighting suit is waterproof and fireproof, but it is also windproof.

Han Yu locked the gun cabinet, put on the firefighting suit and life vest in front of him, picked up the walkie-talkie, climbed into the command cabin, glanced at the plastic poop bucket in the corner, and turned to say, "Director Jin, have you contacted your Traffic Control Center?"

"We’ve made contact."

Director Jin put down his headset, looked up and said, "The captain of Hexiang 9 reported that they can no longer see the coal transport ship, emphasizing that they collided with the front right side of the coal transport ship about six or seven meters from the bow half an hour ago."

"What was Hexiang 9’s heading at that time?"

"They said they were navigating normally, but due to sudden fog and low visibility, they arranged for three crew members to take turns lookout at the bow, and all the necessary signal lights and shapes were displayed. They said the coal transport ship suddenly appeared and crashed into them with a bang."

"Did the coal transport ship lose control?"

"It could also be that the fog was too heavy, and they lost their way."

"What’s the situation with Hexiang 9 now?"

"The cabin is taking on a lot of water; they’re trying to pump it out, but the hull is still tilting to the port side. They reported about a fifteen-degree tilt five minutes ago."

"What’s loaded on the ship?"

"Gypsum stone. Even if it were steel, with such strong wind and waves, it would be difficult for them to fix ballast on the starboard side to maintain balance."

Director Wang roughly understood and couldn’t help asking, "Director Jin, are you saying that Hexiang 9 is in danger and might capsize?"

"It could capsize if not rescued in time."

Jin Weiguo gestured with his hands, adding, "It would flip over like this, deck down, keel up, and then slowly sink."

After boarding 001, Director Wang no longer thought about the ribbon-cutting event, but like everyone else, was concerned about the safety of the crew and asked, "What should we do?"

"The waves are too strong in Dacang Waters, and there’s heavy fog on the river. All we can do now is get there as quickly as possible and first ensure the safety of the eleven crew members on Hexiang 9."

"What about the coal transport ship? What about the people who fell overboard from the coal transport ship?"

Which to save first, which later?

Save whom, not save whom?

This is a common dilemma in rescue operations.

Jin Weiguo turned and looked out of the porthole at the foggy black night illuminated by the searchlight, not knowing how to answer for a moment.

Mentioning the people who fell into the water, Han Yu couldn’t help but think of his brother who had been swept into the Yangtze River by a big wave, resolutely said, "Director Jin, isn’t there your Port Supervision Station in Dacang? Can’t your colleagues requisition a high-horsepower tugboat, please ask them to notify the tugboat to be ready."

"But with the weather so harsh and visibility so low..."

"The weather on the river changes very quickly; if the wind continues to strengthen, it should help disperse some of the fog. Let them be prepared, and if the weather improves, as long as the fog isn’t too dense, we can use 001 as the command ship to guide them in the rescue of Hexiang 9."

It isn’t as simple as Port Supervision wanting to requisition.

If the leadership of the other unit does not agree, even if one crew member suggests it’s too dangerous, their high-horsepower tugboat won’t be dispatched.

After all, this involves not only the safety of the tugboat crew but also property safety.

Especially a fully rotating high-horsepower tugboat, worth millions, who would dare take the risk.

Jin Weiguo was at a loss for what to say, but Han Yu struck while the iron was hot: "Tell them we have radar, we have a Water Depth Detector. They can’t see us, but we can see them. They don’t know the water depth, but we do.

We will pilot them; in this weather, we won’t be able to go fast anyway, just maintaining a speed of three to four knots. Navigation safety will definitely be assured. As long as we can reach the accident area in time, we will not only be able to save people, but also possibly right Hexiang 9."

Hexiang 9 is a ship of over six thousand tons, and its sinking would not only result in significant economic loss but would also block the waterway.

Although 001 is also a tugboat, its horsepower is too small; it can only rescue people and help ships of less than fifteen hundred tons, unable to move a six-thousand-ton ship.

Jin Weiguo hesitated no longer and looked up, "I’ll report to the superior first."

"Then I’ll go up first."

"Okay, I’ll call you on the walkie-talkie if there’s any news."

...

Having radar and a Water Depth Detector is beneficial; although visibility is very low, it doesn’t greatly affect navigation.

After half an hour of moving against the current, 001 finally entered the main channel of the Yangtze River.

The river surface is dozens of times wider than the North Branch Channel, completely unobstructed; the wind on the river is stronger and faster than onshore even though it is also four to five levels.

Facing the wind and waves, 001 floated and bobbed like a leaf in a storm.

Navigation became very difficult, and the speed dropped from five knots to three.

Waves continuously slapped against the glass of the second-story cockpit, the ship rolled and pitched over fifteen degrees, chairs and drawers in the cockpit were all overturned.

If not for clutching tightly to the cabin wall handles, Han Yu would not have been able to stand firmly.

Visibility was not very low, but completely blocked, the outside was pitch-black.

"A ship is moving upstream about three miles to our front left."

"Understood."

In such a scene, Captain Wang couldn’t help but remember a year when they towed over a dozen barges to the East Sea in similar wind and waves.

Although there was no fog at that time, the wind and waves were stronger than this evening.

Quite a few old mates who had been on ships for many years were sick beyond endurance, and at that time, everyone was already giving up hope of reaching the shore alive.

Especially the brothers on the barges, all prepared to cut the towing cables should the ship start to sink, not to drag down other ships or endanger the brothers on those other ships.