On January 26, 2026, in the southern waters of the South China Sea, the crew of the Alatau rescue tug of the Russian Pacific Fleet discovered and brought aboard a person in critical condition. The vessel was following its scheduled transit route to Vladivostok when a visual watch spotted an object on the water surface at a distance that made it possible to identify it as a person.
According to the operational report, the rescued man was a citizen of the Philippines and a crew member of the tanker "S. Grace". According to his testimony, he accidentally fell overboard while performing deck work. The total time he spent in the marine environment was approximately 48 hours. Given the region's tropical climate, the water temperature helped preserve the victim's viability, but the risk of dehydration and hypothermia remained critical.
A standard emergency procedure was activated aboard the Alatau: the sailors approached the victim from the leeward side, used a lifebuoy and line for securing him, and then lifted him onto the deck using the cargo boom. The tug's medical station provided first aid: thermal compensation, fluid replenishment, and an examination for hypothermia were carried out. The current condition of the Filipino sailor is assessed as satisfactory, and hospitalization is not required.
"Alatau" is a Project 1452 rescue seagoing tug commissioned on December 29, 1983.
Technical specifications:
- Displacement: standard — 3,075 tons, full — 4,072 tons
- Dimensions: length — 92.6 m, beam — 15.39 m, draft — 5.85 m
- Full speed: 18.98 knots
- Range: 15,000 miles (12 knots), 7,500 miles (18.98 knots)
- Endurance: 60 days
- Power plant: 2 × 4500 hp, 58D-4R diesel engines, 2 controllable-pitch propellers in nozzles, 2 bow thrusters, 4 DG DGR-300/750-1 at 300 kW each, 1 DG DGA-100-2 100 kW
- Crew: 71 people