On Monday all five people aboard a fishing vessel that shipwrecked due to a sudden strong tropical storm in the waters of the Xisha Islands in the South China Sea have arrived in Kuala Lumpur safely.

The five people, including four Chinese nationals and one Malaysian, were rescued by the German container ship "Northern Faith" last Friday just as their fishing ship "ZHU WAN 4209" was sinking.

Captain Lothar Halbauer of the 35,500-tonage "Northern Faith" said that he received a SOS call forwarded from maritime authorities in Hong Kong, China, at around 17:32 last Friday when his ship was en route to Europe.

The captain said that he did not hesitate to direct his ship toward the spot after receiving the call, although he knew that such a rescue mission might be fatal if the two ships collided in the strong storm.

He noted that it was his legal maritime duty to attempt to save the men.

"It is also the responsibility for seamen to save seamen encountering the shipwreck," he added.

Wu Zewei, one of the four Chinese nationals rescued, told Xinhua that he did not know how to express in words his thanks to the captain when he boarded the "Northern Faith".

Wu said that they could only communicate with the German seamen in sign language. The Chinese expressed their gratitude with physical gestures, such as "saluting" and "shaking hands" with the German friends.

Currently the five rescued crewmembers are in good health. The Chinese Embassy in Malaysia is currently assisting the four Chinese nationals with the necessary procedures to deliver them to China.

(Xinhua News Agency August 7, 2007)