In was around 2:42 a.m. on Wednesday when a 79-ton fishing boat was capsized 72 km off the east of Gampo, South Gyeongsang Province. Sources revealed that three crew members, including 49-year-old Hwang Yong-jin, have been rescued and hospitalized for hypothermic shock and injuries. Rest of the crew is still missing while the search is on.
According to Hwang they were sleeping in a cabin and suddenly awoke when they felt the boat tilting. Hwang said he saw water leaking in. He also added that they were locked in the cabin but managed to swim out of there at dawn, thanks to the lifesaving equipment. Hwang narrated that before they went to bed they had seen our captain and some other crew members on the deck and in the steering room.
The total crew members were 10 included captain Kim, eight Korean sailors, and one Indonesian national. It is told that the boat was departed Port Tongyeong, South Gyeongsang Province, to go crab fishing at 8 a.m. on Tuesday. They reported a shipwreck at 3:25 a.m. before losing contact.
The Pohang Coast Guard explained that they are looking for the missing people with one helicopter and over 10 patrol boats, but because of strong winds of 12-14 m/sec and a high tide, it is currently difficult accessing the wrecked boat. The Coast Guard said that boat was probably capsized because of the strong winds and high tide.
