The condition of four Quang Ngai fishermen injured during a violent incident with a foreign vessel has improved as they continue to recover in the hospital.

These fishermen shared their harrowing experiences after a brutal attack in the Hoang Sa Islands, which resulted in significant injuries and damage to their equipment.

On September 30, the fishing vessel QNg 95739 TS returned to Sa Ky Port with its ten crew members. Upon arrival, three of the injured fishermen were taken to Quang Ngai General Hospital, while one who was more seriously hurt was sent to a provincial hospital for urgent treatment.

Huynh Tien Cong, 47, was among those injured and described his painful ordeal: “A group from the foreign ship approached from behind and began hitting me on my arms and legs with a metal rod. I felt helpless and too scared to fight back.”

In the hospital, Nguyen Thanh Bien, the vessel’s captain, reflected on the disastrous fishing trip that resulted in severe injuries to his crew. The trip began on September 13 from the Sa Ky Border Guard Station, with a goal of fishing near the Paracel Islands.

On the morning of September 29, they noticed a foreign ship identified as number 301 pursuing them. Captain Bien ordered a retreat to Sa Ky, but another foreign vessel, number 101, joined in the chase, deploying three smaller boats to encircle them.

By around 10am, roughly 40 armed individuals boarded the fishing vessel. Bien recounted, “I attempted to escape to the front, but two of them trapped me and assaulted me until I lost consciousness.”

Nguyen Thuong, 34, another crew member, shared his experience of the attack: “They were hitting us without mercy. I put my hands up to protect myself, fully aware we couldn’t fight back. After they attacked us, they gathered us at the front of the ship and covered us with a tarp.”

Thuong, suffering from injuries to his left arm, felt panic when he heard someone say, “The captain has passed out.” He anxiously urged for assistance for Bien.

The attackers remained on the vessel for several hours, stealing gear and around four tons of seafood, resulting in approximately 500 million VND in losses. They left behind only a positioning system to help the fishermen return to shore.

After the attackers departed, the fishermen hurriedly made their way back and encountered a fisheries surveillance vessel about 50 nautical miles from the land, which helped the injured crew members.

With 20 years of experience fishing around the Hoang Sa and Truong Sa (Spratly) Islands, Captain Bien voiced concern over ongoing threats from foreign ships. “We are extremely worried. We hope authorities will step in and support us so we can earn a living safely,” he commented.

On October 1 at 1:12pm, the Binh Hai Border Guard Station was alerted about the assault on the QNg 95739 TS while fishing in the Hoang Sa Islands. The captain urgently requested assistance due to multiple serious injuries among the crew.

In response, local authorities visited the injured fishermen on the evening of September 30, offering words of encouragement and financial aid of 14 million VND.

Authorities are actively investigating the incident to enhance the safety and protection of fishermen working in Vietnam’s territorial waters.