Jeju Coast Guard Rescues 10 Crew Members from Sinking Fishing Boat near Chujado Sea

Published 22 Nov.2021 15:17(KST)

[Jeju=Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Hwang Jeongpil] On the 21st, a collision between vessels occurred about 55 km southwest of Chuja Island, and fishing vessel A, which was flooding, was rescued by the Jeju Coast Guard.

According to the Jeju Maritime Police Station on the 22nd, at around 2:20 a.m. the previous day, an SOS emergency distress signal was received from the V-PASS (Vessel Positioning Automatic System) of fishing vessel A (35t/gillnet/Hallim-registered/10 crew members/5,000L fuel) navigating about 55 km southwest of Chuja Island, Jeju City.

The Jeju Coast Guard immediately dispatched patrol vessels, coastal rescue boats from the substation, and rescue teams patrolling the nearby waters.

Communication with vessel A confirmed that it was flooding due to a collision with fishing vessel B (139t/large trawl/Busan-registered/11 crew members) and that self-pumping was impossible.

Accordingly, the Jeju Coast Guard instructed the captain of vessel A to have all crew members wear life jackets and requested rescue cooperation from nearby fishing vessels engaged in fishing operations.

At around 3:29 a.m., upon arrival at the scene, it was confirmed that about two-thirds of the engine room (depth 1.5?2m) was flooded due to hull damage from the collision, and the vessel was tilted about 15 degrees to the starboard side.

At around 3:41 a.m., the Jeju Coast Guard began pumping out seawater that had entered the engine room using eight pumps owned by various rescue forces and shut off air vents and fuel valves to prevent secondary accidents such as sinking or marine pollution.

At around 4:45 a.m., a rescuer dived and inspected the hull, discovering a breach approximately 1m wide and 1.4m long about 0.5m below the water surface.

Since the damage was too severe for emergency repairs, at 5:16 a.m., eight coast guards boarded fishing vessel A, continued operating the pumps, and began towing using fishing vessels B and C (29t/gillnet/Hallim-registered/rescue cooperation vessel), safely mooring at Hallim Port around 9:20 a.m.

Fishing vessel A, moored at Hallim Port, is scheduled to be hauled out at a shipyard today for repairs, and the Jeju Coast Guard plans to investigate the exact cause of the accident targeting the captain of the vessel involved.