Korean Coast Guard Raids Shipping Company Office in Tugboat Investigation
Nearly a week after the loss of a tugboat while working a containership off the Port of Busan, the Coast Guard raided the offices of multiple companies in the ongoing investigation. The search for six crewmembers resumed after bad weather had limited the efforts, with both the Coast Guard and Navy working a broad search area.
The Busan Coast Guard reports it went to the offices of six companies and a shipping association, as well as inspecting the containership involved in the incident. They reported a “search and seizure” at the offices but did not say what type of information they might have been looking for and how the other companies were related to the incident.
The tug TNS Catcher, built in 2007 and 444 gross tons, was one of three assigned on September 2 to assist in maneuvering the containership MSC Ikaria VI (67,164 dwt). The tug was 34 meters (110 feet) in length with a crew of eight. One crewmember, the cook, was able to scramble over the side and climb on top of the tug after it capsized. The crew on the containership spotted him and lowered a ladder. The body of a second crewmember was recovered from the water and was pronounced deceased at a local hospital. The other six aboard remain missing.
MSC Ikaria VI is registered in Liberia. The vessel is 279 meters (915 feet) in length with a capacity of 5,576 TEU. The containership remains docked in the Port of Busan as the investigation proceeds.
The Coast Guard reports it deployed a team of 41 investigators to search for information. It has position data and the AIS and will be reviewing the voice data recorder and other information. It also obtained CCTV images of the incident.
Videos showed the tug was one of two pulling on the starboard side of the containership while a third was pushing from the port side. The TNS Catcher appeared to be making a turn when it suddenly rolled over. The Coast Guard said they would be looking at the speed, the rate of the turn, and the force from the towline.
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The capsized tug remained afloat for several hours but drifted to a position approximately 5.5 miles from Busan before it sank. The South Korean Navy has been able to locate the wreck at a depth of approximately 87 meters (285 feet). Initially, visibility was limited but has improved, and they were planning to use ROVs for a more complete search of the tug.
On September 8, the Coast Guard reported that it was searching an area 19 miles wide and that 15 vessels and seven aircraft were deployed during the day. The Navy is also using thermal observation devices. Personnel from 48 Coast Guard stations in Busan and Ulsan have joined the marine rescue units in the ongoing search.
