Cruise Ship Stopped in the Middle of the Sea... Changwon Coast Guard Rescues All Passengers Onboard

Changwon Coast Guard approaching a vessel adrift due to engine failure.
[Image source=Changwon Coast Guard]

[Asia Economy Yeongnam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Lee Seryeong] Passengers aboard a 400-ton cruise ship that stopped due to engine failure near Sangyu Port in Yuho-ri, Jangmok-myeon, Geoje-si, Gyeongnam, were rescued by the Coast Guard.

According to Changwon Maritime Police Station, the cruise ship was operating between Geoje Jangmok Port and Jeodo Island. On that day, around 3:44 PM, about 0.3 nautical miles east of Sangyu Port, it became inoperable due to an unknown engine failure.

At the time, there were 83 passengers, 5 crew members, and 4 safety personnel on board.

After a report from one of the passengers, Changwon Coast Guard dispatched and urged all aboard to wear life jackets, sending patrol vessels, police from Sinhang Police Substation, and the Changwon Rescue Team to the scene.

The Coast Guard boarded the drifting cruise ship, which was about 0.1 miles (approximately 200 meters) from shore, to first check the safety of the passengers and the vessel.

To prevent secondary accidents such as collisions with other ships or running aground, the patrol vessels quickly guided the ship to a safe area.

All passengers were safely rescued and set foot on land, and with the cooperation of two tugboats from the Korea Marine Environment Corporation, the cruise ship was brought into Geoje Jangmok Port around 6:22 PM.

A Changwon Coast Guard official stated, “Thanks to the prompt report and rescue, all passengers were safely saved,” and urged, “Since accidents involving multi-use vessels at sea can lead to large-scale casualties, please thoroughly check fuel and all equipment before departure.”

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.