Regarding the capsizing accident of a 29-ton fishing vessel registered in Gyeongnam that occurred early yesterday (5) in the waters off Chagwido, the South Korean captain, one of the two missing persons, has been found dead.

The Coast Guard is continuing search operations for the remaining missing crew member. It is presumed that the accident occurred because the vessel could not handle the weight of a larger-than-usual catch.

Reporter Kim Gyeong-im reports.

A Coast Guard helicopter lands on the rooftop of a hospital.

Waiting medical staff unload a stretcher from the helicopter and quickly transport it to the emergency room. The South Korean captain in his 50s, who had gone missing following the fishing vessel capsizing accident in the waters northwest of Chagwido, was found two days after the incident.

During an underwater search of the hull, the Coast Guard discovered a missing person believed to be the captain near the entrance of the passageway in the right-hand cabin.

At the time, he was transported to the hospital without respiration or a pulse and was pronounced dead; however, identification confirmed him to be a South Korean captain in his 50s. Vessel A, a 29-ton class vessel registered in Sacheon, South Gyeongsang Province, departed from Samcheonpo Port on the 2nd and was engaged in fishing operations.

According to the schedule, the vessel was planned to finish fishing and return to Samcheonpo Port on the 14th, but on the day of the accident, it was entering Moslpo Port due to a massive catch of mackerel.

During the Coast Guard investigation, the crew members stated, "Because we caught more mackerel than usual, it was difficult to separate the catch on board. To work at the port, we were transporting the vessel with the nets full of fish loaded onto the ship," adding, "We piled the nets up like mountains not only in the fish hold but also up to the front of the deck."

The Coast Guard presumes that the accident occurred when the vessel capsized instantly as rough waves struck, while its stability had already been compromised by the weight of the catch. [Ko Myeong-cheol / Head of Search and Rescue Division, Jeju Regional Coast Guard]

"After hauling in the nets, the catch was much larger than expected, so they were unable to process the catch on board. They stated that while moving to enter port with the nets entangled in the fish hold, bow, and gear storage—to borrow the crew's expression—they were piled up like mountains when they were struck by waves on the port side, causing the vessel to capsize."

However, as this is a possibility based on the crew's statements, the Coast Guard is verifying the exact cause of the accident and the amount of catch.

In addition, they are investigating the circumstances regarding the actual number of crew members on board; while the system reported eight at the time of departure, eleven were actually on board.

Meanwhile, the Indonesian crew member remains missing, and the Coast Guard is continuing search operations centered around the accident site by deploying vessels and aircraft.

This is Kim Gyeong-im from KCTV News.

(Video Coverage: Kim Yong-min, CG: Lee A-min, Footage provided by: Jeju Regional Coast Guard)

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