Yilan whale watching boat went out to sea due to a suspected power short circuit failure. 41 tourists were shocked and the fisherman gave red envelopes to calm them down.

Zheng Minze (in white), the director-general of the Toucheng District Fishermen's Association, personally distributed red envelopes to tourists to calm their shock. (Provided by Toucheng District Fisheries Association)

A group of tourists from Kaohsiung Chang Gung Memorial Hospital boarded the Yilan Toucheng District Fishermen's Association's "Guishan Chaori No. 1" for whale watching at 10 o'clock this morning. When passing near Guishan Island, there was a suspected power short circuit and smoke. The captain cut off the power and contacted surrounding areas. A friendly ship came to the rescue and safely towed them back to Wushi Port Pier at about noon. All 41 tourists were safe. Fishermen's Association personnel also came to pick up the fishermen. In addition to a full refund, they also personally handed over a 1,000 yuan red envelope per person to relieve the shock. The heartwarming response was highly recognized by tourists.

The 30-year-old "Guishan Asahi No. 1" is an exclusive luxury entertainment fishing boat operated by the Toucheng District Fishermen's Association. Together with the "Guishan Asahi No. 2", it is the main yacht for whale watching. Ship No. 1 set sail in the morning with a full load of passengers. While sailing on Guishan Island, the captain noticed an abnormality in the power and emitted a burnt smell and smoke. He immediately cut off the power supply.

After receiving the report, Zheng Minze, director-general of the Toucheng District Fishermen's Association, quickly coordinated with nearby friendly ships to come to the rescue. Zheng Minze said that as the northeast monsoon moved southward and the sea surface winds and waves increased significantly, the risk of jumping off the ship in the sea was extremely high. After confirming that the ship's hull was not damaged and that it was safe, it was decided to tow the original ship with a friendly ship to safely escort the passengers back to the port.

In addition to giving away red envelopes to everyone on site and absorbing the full cost to calm the fright, the Fishermen's Association also fully catered to the subsequent needs of the members. Zheng Minze emphasized that aviation safety must not be sloppy in the slightest, and professional technicians have been arranged to conduct a comprehensive overhaul of the ship's circuit system. The cause of the fault must be thoroughly clarified to ensure the safety of passenger navigation.

The group members revealed that although the power short circuit at sea was an unexpected episode, it was also a special and unforgettable experience. They were very sure that the fisherman's association and the captain handled the crisis patiently. They not only calmed everyone's emotions patiently, but also sincerely refunded the fees and gave red envelopes to calm the shock. Everyone felt warm in their hearts. "I will definitely come to Yilan for whale watching again next time!"

Zheng Minze (in white), director-general of the Toucheng District Fishermen's Association, and members of the fishermen's association went to Wushi Port to pick up tourists to disembark. (Provided by Toucheng District Fisheries Association)

The Kameyama Asahi No. 1 whale watching boat, suspected of having a power short circuit, was towed back to Wushi Port at about noon. (Provided by Toucheng District Fisheries Association)