HANGZHOU, Feb. 24 -- A combined rescue of military and civilian efforts salvaged seven people from a sunken fishing boat Friday while the rest of 13 crew members remain missing.

The steel-hull boat -- 42.6 meters long, 7.6 meters wide -- sank 130 sea miles to the east of Zhoushan City, Zhejiang Province.

The local maritime authorities were informed about the sinking Friday morning and requested the Donghai Fleet of Chinese People's Liberation Army Navy to assist.

Frigate Jiaxing, which was carrying out a mission in the East China Sea, and frigates Ningde and Ezhou, both conducting training in the area, were sent to the shipwreck site.

Another naval vessel carrying a rescue helicopter later joined the rescue. Forty-one fishing boats nearby were also mobilized.

The search continued into late Friday night.