Yachtsman Vernon Bradley has written to thank officers of Police Launch (PL) 71 for bringing him to safety after he lost control of his yacht in rough seas late last year.

"I fear matters could have been much worse for myself and the boat and much praise should be extended to all those who took the risk to ensure my safe return to harbour. The professional skills of those concerned in the towing operation were exemplary and worthy of much wider recognition," Mr Bradley said in the letter.

The Officer-in-charge of PL71, Senior Inspector Yu Ting-pong told OffBeat: "We are of course delighted to have received the letter. Saving lives gives us a strong sense of job satisfaction. This case, once again, demonstrates putting what we have learned into practice."

The crew of Police Launch 71 has earned the praise of a yachtsman

They soon realised the man was looking for his friend - a yachtsman stranded without rudder. Though the yachtsman could still be reached by his satellite phone, he could hardly tell his exact location.

Mr Chow said: "We immediately asked the man to describe the characteristics of his friend's yacht and made an initial assessment of the case.

Rescue operation in choppy seas

"We divided ourselves into teams to plan for the rescue: some kept in touch with the yachtsman, while others called up the Marine Regional Command and Control Centre and the Marine Department so that other vessels could watch out for the yacht.

"After a simple calculation of wind direction and the tidal wave, we believed the yacht was still in Hong Kong waters."

After a 10-minute search, PL71 quickly located the missing yacht off Tung Lung Island.

Though Mr Chow and his colleagues have ample experiences in sea rescues, this time the rescue was quite tricky. Mr Chow said: "The Strong Monsoon Signal was in force and the sea condition was very bad. The yacht, which was made up of fibreglass, also complicated the rescue process.

"The yacht was drifting in the sea. We dared not come close to the yacht as our launch could easily break it into pieces, throwing the yachtsman into the sea. Therefore, we carefully passed a rattan fender to the man and towed the yacht to a safe place.

He said: "My colleagues and I are pleased that we have applied what we learned in real-life scenarios. We are delighted to share the incident with our colleagues and families after the rescue."

The rescue team also comprised: Sergeants Tsui Wing-keung and Chan Chi-wah; Woman Police Constables Joanne Yam Tsz-yan and Barbara Tze Nga-yee; Police Constables Lee Wing-wah, Fung Chi-tim, Yau Wai-sing, Lo Wing-yuen, Lee Yi-shun and Fong Ho-wing.

Marine Police in high esteem

In his letter, Mr Bradley said: "Your patrol of Hong Kong waters is essential in many ways; for yachtsman such as myself your presence brings much added security in our safe passage.

"Once again, I send my heartfelt thanks to all those who came to help. I hold the Marine Police in high esteem," he added.