1 injured on tugboat helping carrier with 5 Filipino, 12 Taiwanese crew

Taipei, Jan. 1 (CNA) A rescue helicopter airlifted five people from a tugboat off Hualien on Thursday, after a crew member was injured while trying to assist a drifting bulk carrier with 17 crew members -- five Filipinos and 12 Taiwanese.

The injured individual, surnamed Yu (游), sustained a head laceration when the tugboat became entangled in a cable amid poor wind conditions and lost propulsion, according to deputy coast guard patrol team captain Wu Cheng-ta (吳正達), who took part in the rescue operation.

Wu said that the patrol team requested a helicopter from the National Airborne Service Corps after learning of the accident, which occurred at around 1 p.m., and mobilized approximately 40 personnel on the ground to assist with the operation.

An airlift was deemed necessary after rough sea conditions buffeted the tugboat, preventing the use of small boats to evacuate the crew, according to the rescuers.

The helicopter arrived at around 3 p.m. and airlifted all five crew members, including the semi-conscious Yu, 48, who was transported to a hospital for treatment immediately after the aircraft landed in Hualien, rescuers said.

Local authorities said the Port of Hualien dispatched the tugboat to assist the bulk carrier that was waiting to dock and unload cargo at 9:30 a.m. when it suffered an engine failure, leaving it adrift and swept away by strong monsoon winds.

All 17 crew members on board the Panama-registered cargo ship owned by Taiwan's China Steel Corp., remain safe with no injuries reported, and the vessel is in stable condition, according to the coast guard patrol team.

A large salvage tug was scheduled to arrive at the scene to assist the cargo ship at 8:30 p.m., according to local authorities.