The 43-year-old tourist was on the Ovation of The Seas, a cruise ship flying the Bahamas flag en route from Ho Chi Minh City to Singapore.
After receiving the request for help, the Vietnam Maritime Search and Rescue Coordination Centre immediately instructed the ship’s crew members to give first aid to the tourist and asked the ship captain to steer the ship towards Vung Tau at maximum speed.
The centre then dispatched rescue ship coded SAR 413 to Vung Tau in order to help with the rescue effort.
By 7h30, the victim had been transported to a wharf at Vung Tau and handed over to onshore healthcare workers. The centre also informed the Canadian Embassy in Vietnam to coordinate in dealing with the incident.