By Shen Yang, Yang Zhe

BEIJING, Aug.18 -- The PLA Navy’s guided-missile frigate Changzhou (Hull 549) rescued a civilian ship that caught fire in East China Sea on the evening of August 9.

Frigate Changzhou was on a patrol mission in a certain area of the East China Sea at about 8:10 pm that day when noticing a civilian ship on fire. Upon receiving approval from the superior, it quickly adjusted the course and maneuvered towards the civilian ship. After arriving nearby, the sailors found that the ship was full of flames and thick smoke, and some people had fallen into the water, which made the situation very critical.

The on-board search and rescue team, together with the medical team, quickly took actions. They laid a climbing net on the gunwale, threw life buoys and launched the lead wire to guide the people in water to approach the gunwale climbing net. All the 14 people who fell into the water were rescued at around 9 p.m.

Subsequently, the Frigate Changzhou organized medical staff to conduct health checks and psychological counseling on the rescued, and provided them with cloth, food and accommodation. After the remaining fire being extinguished and all the possible hidden dangers eliminated, Frigate Changzhou evacuated that sea area.

It is learnt that the civilian ship was the "Brother Yuanyang" offshore fishing boat from Wenzhou City of east China’s Zhejiang Province. "Naval sailors gave us a second life," said one rescued person gratefully.