Japanese Cargo Ship Hits Fishing Boat, Splitting It and Killing Two
A small Japanese coast cargo ship is reported to have run down a recreational fishing boat midday on Friday, February 20, killing two people and injuring at least seven others. The force of the impact split the recreational fishing boat in two.
The cargo ship Shinsei Maru (499 tons) had completed offloading a cargo of steel on Friday morning and departed Kinuura Port bound for Kurashiki Port. It is a new vessel that only entered service in 2025 and had a crew of five aboard.
According to the reports, the recreational fishing boat was for hire and took 12 passengers out at midday near Toba City in central Japan. According to other fishing boats in the area, they had anchored about 10 to 15 minutes earlier and just begun fishing when the cargo ship appeared. A crewmember on another boat said he saw the cargo ship bearing down on the Kousei Maru (16-ton) fishing boat measuring 15 meters (49 feet) and sounded his horn in hopes of drawing attention.
The cargo ship struck the fishing boat with sufficient force to split the small boat in two. The 12 fishermen and the captain were thrown into the water. Luckily, they were reported to be wearing life jackets.
The captain of the cargo ship reportedly called the Coast Guard and said, “We hit a fishing boat … or something.”
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Other fishing boats and the Coast Guard immediately responded. They retrieved 12 of the people, and initially, one was reported missing. That person was found after about an hour. Two of the people were in cardiac arrest and rushed to a hospital, where they were pronounced deceased. Five people were reported to be seriously injured, and two others also sustained injuries. Among the injured was the captain of the fishing boat, and the two deceased were reported to be a 60-year-old and an 85-year-old who were aboard for the half-day fishing excursion.
The cargo ship was initially held at the scene for an inspection, and reports said the captain was not at the helm when they struck the boat. None of the crew was injured. The ship was later directed to a port for further investigation.