Chinese Crew Member Dies En Route to Australia, Evacuated in Benoa

The Denpasar Search and Rescue (SAR) team evacuated the body of a Chinese crew member named Zhang Wenli (47) in the waters of the Badung Strait this morning. The victim died while the vessel MV Shandong De Yu was sailing from China to Australia.

Head of the Denpasar Search and Rescue Office, I Nyoman Sidakarya, stated that information regarding Zhang’s death was received from the ship’s agent, PT Benoa Trans Cakrawala Perkasa, on Monday (13/7/2026) at approximately 22:47 WITA.

‘The joint SAR team carried out the evacuation of the body of the MV Shandong De Yu crew member from China, named Zhang Wenli,’ said Sidakarya on Tuesday (14/7/2026).

According to Sidakarya, based on a report from the vessel, Zhang was pronounced dead at around 09:00 WITA while the ship was in the waters of the Badung Strait. The victim is suspected to have suffered from health problems leading to shortness of breath before his death.

After receiving the report, the Denpasar Search and Rescue Office coordinated with the ship and its agent. The coordination resulted in an agreement on an intercept point at coordinates 8°43’49.91”S - 115°17’28.42”E, approximately 4.18 nautical miles from Benoa Port.

Subsequently, officers coordinated with the Benoa Harbourmaster’s Office (KSOP), the Centre for Health Quarantine (BBKK), and the ship’s agent to plan the body retrieval process.

This morning at 06:55 WITA, four personnel from the Denpasar Search and Rescue Office, one personnel from the ship’s agent, and one personnel from the BBKK were dispatched to the intercept location using Rigid Inflatable Boat (RIB) 02 Denpasar.

‘Fifteen minutes later, they had pulled alongside the MV Shandong De Yu. The ship’s crew transferred the body to be taken to Benoa Port,’ he explained.

The joint SAR team arrived back at Benoa Port at approximately 07:55 WITA. The body of Zhang was then transported by ambulance to Prof Ngoerah General Hospital in Denpasar.