Since salvage began for shipwreck distress at sea on Nov. 24, this reporter has spent five unforgettable days and nights aboard salvage boat "Zhifu Island".

(1) On November 28, at 10.17 a.m., aquanauts Zhang Guanglong, Liu Sixin and Li Chuandian went under water to formally begin salvage of victims' remains from aboard salvage boat "Zhifu Island" at anchorage 7 to 8 meters away from wrecked ship "Da Shun".

Around "Zhifu Island" and overhead was a somber overcast sky, waves running frighteningly high pounding on the sides of the boat. Of 302 living souls caught in the shipwreck perils of "Da Shun" on November 24, only 22 survived, with 119 victims' remains tossed out on the waves found and the rest possibly still caught in the holds of the wrecked ship.

Leaders sent thither aboard "Zhifu Island" summarily studied into a blueprint of wrecked ship "Da Shun". Among the leaders were included Vice Director Sun Fumin of the State General Rescue Bureau of the Ministry of Communications along with other leading personnel and rescuers from Yanda Ferry Transportation Company. They kept the aquanauts under water in direct contacts on the phone to guide them into various inlets and exits of wrecked ship "Da Shun".

"Nothing can be seen in the hull" was the voice of aquanaut Liu Sixin heard on phone from under water.

Sun Fumin told the reporter that his men with their salvage work met untold difficulties. For several days high waves and turbid water had completely cut out all possible sight under water. The frogmen had to grope in the hull of "Da Shun". Whenever and wherever they bumped upon a thing they had to report it instead for guidance above the hull. The sea peril had overturned the wrecked ship upside down. All frogmen had to feel round and make judgements in a reverse way within the overturned hull. Broken and sharp tools were spread throughout the hull in a way to threaten their lifeline for oxygen supply and their protective armor.

At 10:30, Zhang Guanglong and Liu Sixin dived into the hull of the wrecked ship through a broken window.

At 10:44, a victim's remain was sent out of the wrecked ship.

For every minute and second salvage aboard "Zhifu Island" is in a way to have caused deep concern from the CPC Party Committee and the State Council and great concern from sundry Party, state and military departments of the country. A strong rescue force was summarily organized and sent to the shipwreck sea area of Yantai. On the afternoon of November 27, at 7 p.m. "Zhifu Island" was moved thither nearby for the salvage operation from a long way off from Shengli Oilfield. Over 70 frogmen were called up to assemble on aboard "Zhifu Island" from Yantai Rescue Bureau of the Ministry of Communications, Shanghai Rescue Bureau and Guangzhou Rescue Bureau. The Navy North Sea Fleet Bei-Rescue Boat 122 with its 45 frogmen were also on the roll call. It drove in the small hours of November 28 to the peril site of the shipwreck.. Among these were also included the giant floating crane "Herculean" driving in a force march to the salvage area.

A coastal telecom station and a marine satellite also become necessary to have been set up by the local authorities of Shandong at Yantai.

At 11:40, four victims' remains were sent out of water by three frogmen on their first round of salvage. Crewmen aboard "Longgang" took care to wrap them well up and sent them ashore.

At 11.45, the second batch of divers went under water.

(2) In the small hours of November 29, at 1.52, wind rose and began to gather force on the sea. Small snowflakes pelted down on the face of the rescuers. Aboard "Zhifu Island", Director Lin Yunai of the State Rescue General Bureau of the Ministry of Communications, eyebrows locked tight, confided to his men, "If the wind should go on gathering force... waves continue to toss high, ... if our ship should bump on the wrecked ship, the result would..."

But Vice Director Yu Xili of Yantai Meteorological Station did not forget to bring with him portable instruments to provide meteorological date in the peril sea area.

At the small hour of 2:00, wind changed direction on the sea. Frogman Wang Shifu from Yantai Rescue Bureau, aged 55 now, already with his 90kg diving suit on, went under water with another diver.

At 2:22, the wind blew with a stronger force, wives running high. Lin Yunai gave the words to suspend all rescue work but leave the frogmen to take turn to go on with their salvage for the remains of the victims.

At 4:44, the leading group in charge of the rescue work called an emergency meeting. They saw to it that effective rescue work was carried out according to reports of divers from under water.

At 8.09 in the morning of November 29, North Sea Fleet Bei-Rescue Boat 122 drove to the shipwreck area. With the help of rescue boat 122, "Zhifu Island" further moved its place five meters near wrecked ship "Da Shun".

Over 100 divers both from the military and localities were at long last mobilized on the rescue job and more remains came to be salvaged from underwater.

(3) Beginning from the small hours of December 1, the rescue entered into an important stage. An emergency meeting was called aboard "Zhifu Island" to transmit a directive from the State Council Accidents Investigation and Treatment Leading Group on selecting a pick force of experienced, brave and strong-bodied light-outfit divers to go under water for salvage of victims' remains from the hull of "Da Shun".

Gong Shouji, Xue Xingeng, Zhang Chaoshui, Sui Yonglin, Yang Lin and Yu Jun were among those picked for the task.

Yang Lin, a young frogman of Shanghai Rescue Bureau who had just arrived from Gansu Liujiaxia Reservoir, went under water by himself alone salvaged seven corpses.

Gong Shouji, a man of desperate daring, salvaged 21 victims' remains. He said to this reporter, he had dived into the hull, carefully groped within, felt a window. It seemed no one else had entered in. But he went in and found many corpses within. Then he tied them onto a rope, pushed them out of the wind one by one, down and then up the stairs, finally sent the remains all out.

Among the PLA navy officers and men, Li Hongjian is the youngest. Only aged 17, he has served as a frogman aboard navy Bei-Rescue Boat 122. When the reporter asked whether he showed timidity or got strained because of the rescue in the hull he merely replied "Not a bit" and that "I feel nothing to be afraid of".

Director Yang Yinben of Navy Navigation Guarantee Department and Deputy Chief of Staff Zhang Yongli of North Sea Fleet Qingdao Base told the reporter that among the PLA navy rescue crewmen there is a "Heroic Rescue Team". It has won high commendation from the Central Military Commission of the CPC Central Committee. Of this team, volunteer serviceman Lu Xiaolong has by himself salvaged seven corpses.

These days, Yantai City and Muping District have sent boatloads of apples, fresh milk, cucumbers, tomatoes and other necessities in support of the salvage work at sea in Yantai.

On December 2, at 9:20, Member of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and Vice Premier of the State Council Wu Bangguo turned up on "Zhifu Island" from North Sea Trawler 102. On behalf of the Party Central Committee and the State Council he gave his solicitous care to the whole rescue crew. When all rescue personnel are with their personal safety guaranteed he called for continued effort to be made to salvage the remains of the drowned.

Up to 17 sharp, December 2, with a concerted effort made by the rescue crew from the military and localities, a total of 121 corpses were salvaged.

On the morning of December 3, Vice Director of the State Rescue General Bureau of the Ministry of Communications Sun Fumin told the reporter that combing-type re- and light-outfit rescue operations were to be carried out and as was demanded by my work I left "Zhifu Island".

Up to December 4, at 7 p.m., as this reporter got to know there were already 125's remains that that had been salvaged. For a strong wind rising again on the sea, "Zhifu Island" and Bei-rescue 122 had to take shelter and steer away from the ferocity of the wind.

On December 5, night, the reporter received a phone call from the leading group of the State Rescue General Bureau of the Ministry of Communications in charge of salvage on the spot at sea. I was told that when the wind should blow with a subdued force, "Zhifu Island" will drive again to the shipwreck sea area at 8 o'clock in the morning of the day. (By Xinhua Reporter Xu Bing)