Hu Ping and Yuan Mao were safely rescued by a cargo boat owned by Huang Shun Corp. headed to Tinian from Saipan.
Boat Capt. Belal Hossain said his vessel, together with crewmember Zhang Dasing, who was sick at the time, saw one of the victims, waving a yellow paddle, while they were approaching the last buoy.
Both victims were already outside of the buoy, struggling to return to shore while on their “very small rubber boat.”
“We were returning to Tinian. It was after a heavy rain when we saw them. It was very windy, and the sea was very rough,” Hossain told Variety in a phone interview.
“I thank God for seeing them because if we passed by a little later, they might have been gone,” he added.
Hossain spotted the two at about 5 p.m., and had a hard time rescuing them because of the rough sea.
“Every time we try to go near them, the strong wind and current pushed them away,” Hossain said.
Before he rescued the victim, Hossain radioed the Department of Public Safety on Tinian.
At about 6 p.m., Hossain reached the Tinian marina where an ambulance was waiting.
Prior to the incident, the victims, who were staying at Tinian Dynasty, were at the beachside on their small rubber boat at about 1 p.m.
Tinian Dynasty called police after the two didn’t return as expected at about 3 p.m.
