On the night of October 22, 2024, while navigating from Ako, Japan, to Yantai, China, the vessel "SOC GLORY," managed by First Marine Service Co. Ltd.Owned by @SOC Marine , encountered rough seas near Chengshan Cape, Weihai, Shandong. The severe weather caused the ship's stern lifeboat to fall overboard, posing a significant disruption to the vessel’s operations.

Early on October 23, upon discovering the incident, the ship's management promptly reported it to the Shandong Maritime Safety Administration (SMSA).

In response, SMSA’s Command Center coordinated with Yantai and Weihai Maritime Safety Administration and mobilized the "Great Patrol" collaborative fleet to assist in the search and provide continuous safety monitoring for the SOC GLORY. By approximately 11:00 a.m., cooperative vessels "Zengxing" and "Da Dongfang 8" located the lifeboat in the alert zone near Chengshan Cape. The Weihai Maritime Safety Administration then coordinated with local tugboat operators to retrieve the lifeboat, successfully towing it ashore by 5:00 p.m. on the same day.

After dual verification by Yantai Maritime Safety Administration and the classification society, the lifeboat was transported overland to Yantai Port on October 24 and securely reinstalled on the SOC GLORY.The entire recovery process, from initial report to successful repositioning of the lifeboat, took less than 24 hours.

This swift response highlights SMSA’s robust maritime surveillance and emergency search capabilities, demonstrating their commitment to maritime safety and international cooperation, which has earned the gratitude of the vessel's foreign operators. In recent years, SMSA has established the “Great Patrol” collaborative fleet, a 477-strong team of vessels, including international carriers, frequent port visitors, harbor tugs, offshore wind service ships, passenger ferries, and container liners. This alliance enables rapid response and efficient monitoring of safety information, abnormal activities, and emergency rescue operations, helping close critical gaps in long-distance maritime search and rescue capabilities.

Moving forward, SMSA plans to enhance this cooperative framework to further strengthen maritime safety governance, ultimately contributing to the safe and prosperous development of global shipping activities in the region.

Source: Maasmond Maritime