SHENZHEN China Southern Fisheries Co. Ltd. recently received a thank-you email from the Pukapuka-Nassau Island Administration in the Cook Islands for its swift response and assistance in an emergency situation in Nassau on May 31.

Pio Ravarua, executive director of the administration, expressed gratitude for the company’s timely aid to resolve a power outage issue on Nassau Island, according to a report by Live Shenzhen, the official WeChat account of the Information Office of the Shenzhen Municipal Government, on Tuesday.

At around 5:40 p.m. May 31, Shenzhen China Southern Fisheries received a request for help from the Cook Islands Government as the power generator on Nassau Island was unexpectedly damaged, causing a complete blackout. The Pukapuka-Nassau Island Administration urgently needed to transport skilled staff and maintenance equipment from Pukapuka Island to Nassau Island, which is about 60 nautical miles away, to restore the power generator. Failure to do so would result in a severe disruption of communication, health services, and the loss of all frozen goods for the island’s inhabitants.

Responding to the distress call, the Shenzhen company immediately arranged for its fishing boat No. 721, operating near the Cook Islands, to provide assistance.

On the morning of June 1, the fishing boat set sail for Pukapuka Island and reached the designated location by 6:30 p.m., picking up two maintenance staff and two boxes of spare parts for the power generator before delivering them to the specified location at Nassau Island. The boat also supplied 200 liters of diesel to power the generator.

“The local people were delighted seeing our boat. Though we couldn’t communicate because of the language barrier, they warmly shook hands with us to express their gratitude,” Ma Hongdi, captain of the fishing boat, said during an interview.

The power supply on Nassau Island was fully restored on the morning of June 2, after a 40-hour blackout.

“I am indeed most thankful to you for the extra diesel and the fishing boat’s quick response,” Ravarua wrote in the email.

The administration also extended its willingness to assist any of the company’s fishing boats should they find themselves in an emergency situation near the islands.

The Cook Islands, situated in the Southern Pacific Ocean, is a key partner of the Belt and Road Initiative and represents the initiative’s southern extension.

This is not the first time for Shenzhen China Southern Fisheries Co. Ltd. to receive thank-you letters from the Cook Islands.

The company, established in 2008, has actively engaged in oceanic fishing and has previously participated in several rescue operations in the sea areas surrounding the Cook Islands.

In one such incident March 23 last year, two of the company’s fishing vessels halted their operations to participate in a rescue mission when a cargo ship ran aground near the northern islands of the Cook Islands. On another occasion March 29, 2014, one of the company’s ships played a crucial role in towing a stranded cargo ship from the Cook Islands away from sunken reefs, bringing it safely to nearby Penrhyn Port.

The rescue operations serve as a testament to the friendship between the people of China and the Cook Islands and exemplify the spirit of solidarity between China and other developing nations, the Guangdong Overseas Fisheries Association commented. (Han Ximin)