According to Ulsan Coast Guard official a trawler named the Yeongjin went missing on Friday January 30 morning in the East Sea of Japan, nearly 50 kilometers (31 miles) east of Ulsan. It is informed that the vessel was 59-ton and was disappeared after its captain, Jang Hyeon-su, aged 50 years, spoke with the ship’s owner by satellite phone three hours before the ship was scheduled to sail into port.
The official also told that three Coast Guard ships, helicopters and a destroyer are now searching for survivors of the missing vessel. It is learnt that there were nine people on the trawler as crew members. A member of the Ulsan coast guard opined that a wind and wave alarm was issued in the area where the ship went missing.
He also explained that communications with the ship were lost 60 hours ago, and there is a possibility that it sank, although the coast guards haven’t excluded the chance that it is still afloat. It is said that a patrol aircraft discovered grease that looked like diesel floating on the surface 10.8 kilometers away from where the ship made its last communication at 4:25 p.m. Sunday February 1.
Acting upon the clue the Coast Guard is examining whether the grease is the same as the ship’s fuel. As per the Coast Guard the point where the ship made its last call is only 5 to 14 kilometers away from an area where whirlpools occur.
