Photos: Four Fishermen Rescued After Deadly Capsizing Off South Korea

 

Five crewmembers from a South Korean fishing vessel are dead after a sudden capsizing in the East China Sea, according to the Korea Coast Guard, and five more remain missing. 

In the early hours of Sunday morning, the fishing vessel 22 Seokyung was under way east of Habaekdo Island in foul weather. At about 0140 hours, the vessel capsized suddenly, forcing crewmembers to leap into the water. The vessel had no time to make a distress call.

Good Samaritan fishing vessels and first responders from the Korea Coast Guard have retrieved the body of the captain and four other deceased crewmembers from the sea; one small Korea Coast Guard rescue boat capsized during the search and rescue effort, but the personnel aboard escaped unharmed. 

Four survivors were found in a liferaft and were delivered to shore for treatment for hypothermia and minor injuries. 

Images courtesy Korea Coast Guard

Video courtesy Korea Coast Guard

An additional five crewmembers remain missing, and the survivors suggested that some of them were likely trapped belowdecks during the capsizing. In case any others may have survived, the Korea Coast Guard has mounted a large-scale search with more than 30 vessels (including good Samaritans). Continued foul weather has made the operation challenging, but the team is attempting to cover an area measuring about 35 nautical miles by 50 nautical miles around Habaekdo.  

Despite rough surface conditions, a sonar survey of the wreck site has already been completed, and it shows that the vessel came to rest upright on the bottom. The superstructure appears nearly intact in 80 meters of water. An ROV survey is planned to evaluate the wreck, but has been postponed until better weather arrives.