By Jun Ji-hye
The Navy said Tuesday that it has deployed a CH-47 helicopter to the southern port city of Jinhae, South Gyeongsang Province, to improve rescue services in maritime disasters.
The helicopter, the biggest in the South Korean military, has state-of-the-art equipment and a crew of a dozen.
“The Navy deployed the CH-47 on April 7 in Jinhae in order not to waste the golden hour when maritime disasters occur,” the Navy said in a statement.
“The helicopter enables rescue workers to move to a location quickly and begin operations right after they arrive.”
The deployment is part of the Navy’s overall measures to improve maritime disaster management in the wake of the deadly sinking of ferry Sewol on April 16 of last year that left more than 300 dead or missing. The Navy came up with the measures to mark the first anniversary of the Sewol disaster.
The “golden hour” refers to the time in which rescue personnel need to start treating a patient to afford them the best chance of survival.
In the case of maritime disaster, the first 60 minutes is critical because the sooner rescue personnel get to a vessel following a distress signal, the more people they can save.
Last year, the government and the rescue teams became the target of criticism for wasting that crucial hour when the passenger ship was sinking.
The Navy also plans to increase the number of sailors and rescue personnel stationed in the naval fleets in the East and West seas with missions of carrying out initial actions.
In a move to strengthen monitoring to spot maritime accidents early, the Navy installed the vessel traffic system at its units in the southern regions.
“By 2016, the Navy will equip all warships and helicopters with nine-seat portable lifeboats,” said the statement.
It added that it has strengthened deep sea diving training for the Navy’s elite Underwater Demolition Team (UDT).
In addition, the Navy and the Ministry of Public Safety and Security launched two-day intensive naval drills in the waters off Mokpo, South Jeolla Province, involving more than 20 ships, three helicopters and dozens of officials, to check and improve their joint response capabilities.
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