A seafarer with signs of a possible heart attack was brought ashore in southern Vietnam early on 31 October 2026. The Vietnam Maritime Search and Rescue Coordination Centre (Vietnam MRCC) announced the rescue the same day, the state news agency VNA reported.
The ship is the Demeter Leader, a Japanese-flagged car carrier (IMO 9477921). It was sailing from Japan to Singapore through waters south of Vietnam, VietnamPlus reported. The ship register of the class society ClassNK lists it as a vehicles carrier. The reports did not give the seafarer's name, rank or nationality.
What happened
At 9:20 a.m. local time on 30 October, the ship sent an emergency message to the rescue centre. A crew member had sudden left-side chest pain that did not stop. The seafarer also had trouble breathing and a headache.
International SOS, a medical assistance company, checked the case. It said the seafarer probably had acute coronary syndrome. This means the blood flow to the heart is suddenly reduced, and a heart attack can follow. The seafarer needed hospital care quickly.
At times the seafarer's condition got worse, and the crew had to give oxygen. The captain then asked for help to bring the seafarer ashore, VTV reported.
The rescue centre told the crew how to give first aid. Under orders from the Vietnam Maritime and Waterway Administration, it sent the rescue boat SAR 272. The boat left Phuoc Thang Ward in Ho Chi Minh City with two doctors on board.
At 3:21 a.m. on 31 October, SAR 272 arrived back at the rescue centre's pier in Phuoc Thang Ward. The seafarer was then taken to hospital for emergency treatment, DTiNews reported. The reports did not give an update on the seafarer's condition after arrival.
For crews: chest pain at sea
These are general points, not advice from this case. Always follow your company's medical procedures and the ship's medical guide.
Take sudden chest pain seriously, even in young and fit people. It is more serious if it comes with trouble breathing, sweating, sickness or pain in the arm, neck or jaw.
Get medical advice early. Contact your company's medical service, or a radio medical service through the nearest Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre (MRCC). Do not wait to see if the pain goes away.
Have someone stay with the sick person. Keep the person at rest, and write down the time the pain started and any changes.
Give oxygen or medicines from the ship's medical chest only as the doctor on the radio or phone advises.
Tell the master early, so the ship can change course or ask for a medical evacuation in time. A rescue boat or helicopter can take many hours to arrive.
Cover photo: Ganh Rai Bay at Vung Tau, southern Vietnam. Illustrative photo, not taken during the rescue. Photo: vi:User:NDS and vi:User:Bac Luong, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0 (cropped).
Sources: VietnamPlus (VNA), 31 Oct 2026: Bringing foreign ship crew members at risk of heart attack ashore for emergency treatment, VTV (TTXVN), 31 Oct 2026: Đưa thuyền viên tàu nước ngoài gặp nạn vào bờ cấp cứu, DTiNews, 31 Oct 2026: Sailor evacuated from Japanese ship over suspected heart attack, ClassNK Register of Ships: Demeter Leader (IMO 9477921).
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