All 9 Rescued After Fishing Boat Runs Aground Off Gunsan Coast: "We Didn't See the Reef Because We Were Drowsy"

A fishing vessel operating drowsily ran aground after hitting a reef off the coast of Gunsan.

At around 5:15 a.m. on the 10th, a report was received by the coast guard that a 30-ton fishing vessel A (registered in Boryeong, Chungnam, with 9 crew members on board) ran aground after hitting a reef near Yeondo, Okdo-myeon, Gunsan-si, Jeonbuk while operating.

The Gunsan Coast Guard dispatched patrol ships, rescue teams, and coastal rescue boats to the accident site and rescued all 9 crew members on board.

The Gunsan Coast Guard is conducting drainage operations on a sunken vessel off the coast of Gunsan, Jeonbuk, 10 days ago.
[Photo by Gunsan Coast Guard]

A broken hole measuring 3 meters wide and 1 meter long was found near the ship's engine room, and five bilge pumps were mobilized to pump out the water that had entered the hull to prevent flooding.

Thanks to the coast guard's prompt action, no injuries or marine pollution were reported.

At the request of the shipowner, two vessels arrived at the accident site around 6:30 a.m., moored to the port and starboard sides of vessel A respectively, and under the coast guard's safety management, the vessel was safely brought into Hongwon Port, Seocheon-gun, Chungnam at around 8:06 a.m.

The captain of the fishing vessel stated, "I was operating with autopilot and fell asleep, so I failed to notice the reef around the island."

A coast guard official emphasized, "The damage to the vessel is not severe, so it is waiting for repairs after entering port. Operating with autopilot or drowsy navigation during sailing can lead to major accidents, so special caution is required."

The coast guard plans to investigate the exact cause of the accident based on the captain's statement and other factors.

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