XN000022-1985-11-29 — Page 28

FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 29, 1985

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SEARCH AND RESCUE EXERCISES HELD

******

A MAJOR MARITIME SEARCH AND RESCUE EXERCISE, COORDINATED BY THE MARINE DEPARTMENT, WAS HELD HALFWAY BETWEEN HONG KONG AND MACAU YESTERDAY (THURSDAY).

A SPOKESMAN FOR THE MARINE DEPARTMENT SAID THE AIM OF THE EXERCISE WAS TO TEST COMMAND AND CONTROL PROCEDURES WITHIN THE [EPARTMENT AND SUPPORTING SEARCH AND RESCUE AGENCIES, AS WELL AS TO TRAIN STAFF.

HE SAID THE LOCATION WAS CHOSEN TO ALLOW FOR MAXIMUM PARTICIPATION BY AS MANY AGENCIES AS POSSIBLE.

+ IN ADDITION TO THE ROYAL HONG KONG AUXILIARY AIR FORCE, THE MARINE POLICE, THE CIVIL AVIATION DEPARTMENT AND THE CIVIL AID SERVICES, BOTH THE MACAU MARINE DEPARTMENT AND THE GUANGZHOU MARITIME RESCUE COORDINATION CENTRE TOOK PART IN THE EXERCISE.+

THE EXERCISE CENTRED ON THE EVACUATION OF 59 PERSONS FROM

A VESSEL IN DISTRESS.

+BY THE END OF THE EXERCISE, ALL 59 PERSONS WERE SUCCESSFULLY EVACUATED.

+IN PARTICULAR, FIVE PERSONS WITH SIMULATED SERIOUS INJURIES WERE EVACUATED BY HELICOPTER FOR EMERGENCY TREATMENT IN MACAU, HE SAID.

IN A RELATED EXERCISE, A LONG RANGE SEARCH AND RESCUE OPERATION, INVOLVING A SIMULATED AIR CRASH ABOUT 100 MILES TO THE EAST OF HONG KONG, WAS CARRIED OUT UNDER THE COORDINATION OF THE CIVIL AVIATION DEPARTMENT.

PARTICIPATING IN THIS PART OF THE EXERCISE, WHICH STARTED ON TUESDAY (NOVEMBER 26) AND ENDED TODAY, WERE THE ROYAL AIR FORCE, THE ROYAL NAVY, THE ROYAL HONG KONG AUXILIARY AIR FORCE. THE UNITED STATES ARMED FORCES AND COAST GUARD, AND THE GUANGDONG MARITIME SEARCH AND RESCUE CENTRE.

NEW CHAIRMAN FOR SPORTS COUNCIL ******

THE GOVERNOR, SIR EDWARD YOUDE, HAS APPOINTED MR F.K. HU AS THE CHAIRMAN OF THE COUNCIL FOR RECREATION AND SPORT FOR A TER" OF TWO YEARS WITH EFFECT FROM TODAY (FRIDAY).

THE COUNCIL, ESTABLISHED IN 1973, 15 THE GOVERNMENT'S ADVISORY BODY ON SPORTS AND RECREATION AND THE MAJOR PART OF THIS IS TO ADVISE ON THE DISBURSEMENT OF GRANTS TC SPORTS ASSOCIATIONS.

/IT HAS