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Rescue craft, helicopter and launches from Zhuhai, Macau and Hong Kong rushed to the scene to offer assistance.
The "emergency" was only the scenario of a maritime search and rescue exercise held in the Pearl River estuary today to test the search and rescue strength of Guangdong, Macau and Hong Kong for dealing with an accident at sea.
This year's exercise, codenamed "Maritime SAREX96", was jointly organised by the Guangdong Provincial Marine Emergency Search and Rescue Centre (GDRCC), Macau Marine Department and Hong Kong Marine Department.
In today's scenario, 50 staff members of the Civil Aid Services simulated the injured passengers of the high-speed ferry provided by Chu Kong Shipping.
Since the position of the "emergency" was nearer to Macau, the Macau Marine Department assumed the role of the search director in the exercise.
The Macau Marine Department tasked three rescue craft for the rescue operation while GDRCC provided the rescue craft "Nan Hai Xun 33" from Zhuhai.
Hong Kong tasked two Marine Police launches to the scene to help the passengers. A Government Flying Service helicopter was also sent to carry out simulated casualty evacuation and delivery of the casualty ashore.
Under the co-ordination of the Macau Marine Department, some 50 qualified staff rescued all the "injured" passengers and sent them to Macau for medical treatment.
"With more people travelling between Hong Kong and the Pearl River by sea, it is necessary to conduct regular exercises in this busy waters to check the alerting, communications and responses of the search and rescue resources in Zhuhai, Macau and Hong Kong," said a spokesman for the Hong Kong Marine Department.
He said search and research exercises at a regional level could enhance co- operation among neighbouring authorities and Maritime SAREX96 met this aim.
A subsequent critique held in Macau in the afternoon identified that on-scene communication could be further improved, the spokesman said.
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