Skillfully choreographed salvage prevents a Hawaiian disaster

摘要

When the Coast Guard first got the call on Jan. 13, 2007, Tong Cheng, a 485-foot Chinese freighter, was taking on water through a hull fracture in the No. 2 hold. The vessel was 600 nautical miles northwest of Oahu and its agent was seeking permission to make repairs in Honolulu.The request for help had the makings not just of a disaster at sea but of an international incident. Tong Cheng had left South Korea for the Panama Canal, but its ultimate destination was Cuba.