The Taiwan Navy on Tuesday continued its search for three sailors who were missing after an incident involving the Haihu, or Sea Tiger submarine on December 21. The Defense Ministry addressed the issue at its routine press conference on Tuesday.
Chief of Naval Staff Wu Li-ping (吳立平) says a team of sailors was dispatched to investigate an unusual sound detected from the rear rescue buoy. However, the team was caught in a large wave and six sailors were swept overboard. Three sailors were rescued, but three remain missing. Wu says the rescued and injured personnel experienced severe psychological trauma throughout the incident.
Wu says the Navy is committed not to abandon any individual. He says the Navy has deployed a wide range of resources to search for the missing sailors, including 80 aircraft, 76 naval vessels, and over 900 personnel along the coastal areas from Kaohsiung Harbor to Hengchun, encompassing the surrounding waters of Xiao Liuqiu. The search and rescue operation has also been extended for another 72 hours.