( CNN ) -- A Venezuelan fishing boat has rescued 11 Chinese sailors , including four suffering from severe burns , from a life raft floating in the Pacific Ocean about 1,100 km ( 684 miles ) off the coast of Mexico . Six sailors from the Chinese vessel remain missing , and two of the rescued men subsequently died from their injuries . Airmen from an Arizona-based United States Air Force Search and Rescue team assisted in the recovery of two of the seamen , who were critically injured , a spokesperson from the Davis-Monthan Air Force Base said Sunday . The uninjured crew members , along with the bodies of the two deceased , were transferred to a Chinese-flagged vessel which was in the area and are being repatriated . The Venezuelan vessel radioed a request for assistance late Friday afternoon , and airmen from the 563rd Rescue Group , based in Tucson , Arizona , flew to the location to treat the injured crew , where emergency treatment continued into Sunday aboard the ship . The team parachuted from an Air Force aircraft after an 11-hour flight to the remote location in the Pacific , approaching the fishing boat on Zodiac inflatables . The airmen were preparing for the world 's largest Combat Search and Rescue ( CSAR ) exercise , codenamed Angel Thunder , when the real-world distress call came through , a 12th Air Force report stated . `` We were preparing for the training exercise when we were notified of what was going on , '' 1st Lt. Ben Schmidt , 48th Rescue Squadron Combat Rescue Officer was quoted as saying . `` As a Guardian Angel , this is what we are trained and equipped to do , so there is no better way to show our capabilities . '' Capt . Susan Harrington , Public Affairs Officer at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base , told CNN that the military was hoping to transfer the two injured crew members back to Cabo San Lucas , the nearest landfall in Mexico , on Monday ( local time ) . `` We are prepared to rescue anyone , anytime , anywhere , when tasked by the Air Force , '' Col. Sean Choquette , 563rd RQG Commander , said . `` Our airmen train diligently to execute difficult missions like this one . '' Family rescued at sea . U.S. Navy responds to distress call in Aegean Sea .
Chinese sailors found floating on life raft by Chinese fishing boat after their ship sank . two rescued , including Six who are seriously injured and two who later died . two seamen remain missing . Combat Search and Rescue assisted in the rescue .