Korean Coast Guard Rescues 11 From Sinking Cargo Ship

 

South Korea’s Coast Guard is reporting the rescue of 11 sailors from a small cargo ship that was caught in a strong storm south of the Korean peninsular. According to the report, the crew was safely aboard a Coast Guard rescue vessel less than two hours after the distress call was received.

The vessel, the 3,500-dwt Keum Yang 6 departed Gwangyang, South Korea with a cargo of steel plate bound for Zhoushan, China. The vessel was built in 2017 and is owned by a South Korean shipping company, Keum Yang Shipping which has a fleet of small cargo ships operating in the region.

The ship reportedly encountered a strong storm with 16-foot seas. Winds were reported at 35 to 40 mph. The cargo ship, which was 262 feet (80 meters) in length began taking on water and issued a distress call while approximately 40 miles southwest of Jeju Island at around 22:00 local time on February 15.

 

Coast Guard said the evacuation was completed in less than two hours after the distress call was received (Korea Coast Guard)

 

The Coast Guard dispatched a helicopter and rescue ship and reported by the time it reached the cargo ship it had a 25-degree list to port with water washing over the deck. There was a total of 11 crewmembers aboard, consisting of two Koreans, six from Myanmar, and three from Indonesia.

Despite the adverse weather conditions, the Coast Guard reported that all the crewmembers were rescued by shortly before midnight local time.

An investigation is underway into the cause of the incident.