Four dead, five still missing after fishing boat capsizes off south coast

Coast Guard members search a capsized fishing boat on Saturday. A 20-ton vessel was discovered capsized south of Tongyeong, South Gyeongsang, 6:43 a.m. Saturday. [COAST GUARD]

An overnight rescue operation found no other victims after a fishing boat capsized off the southern coast of Tongyeong, South Gyeongsang, killing four people and leaving five missing on Saturday, the Coast Guard said Sunday.

A 20-ton vessel carrying nine crew members — two Koreans and seven Indonesians — was found overturned in waters 68 kilometers (42 miles) south of Yokji Island, Tongyeong, South Gyeongsang, on Saturday, officials said.

The overturned boat departed from Hallim Port of Jeju Island on Thursday at 10:36 a.m. and sailed toward Yokji Island near Tongyeong.

Another vessel fishing alongside the capsized boat reported something was wrong at 6:29 a.m. Saturday, notifying authorities that “they could not get in contact with the boat.”

The Tongyeong Coast Guard found the vessel capsized at 6:43 a.m. the same day.

During the search in the morning, two Indonesians and one Korean were found unconscious inside the vessel.

According to the Coast Guard, the first two victims were found near the entrance of the cabin at 8:40 a.m. and 9:27 a.m. The last victim was found at 9:52 a.m. in the boat’s wheelhouse.

The three victims were immediately sent to a hospital, where they were later pronounced dead.

Another Indonesian crew member was found 13 kilometers from the accident site the same day at 3:15 p.m.

He, too, was eventually pronounced dead.

On Saturday, President Yoon Suk Yeol ordered the Oceans and Fisheries Ministry, National Defense Ministry and the Coast Guard to “do their best to rescue the missing crew members by mobilizing all available personnel and equipment.”

An overnight rescue operation was conducted Saturday night to find the missing five crew members, including an underwater search.

However, no additional victims were found, according to officials.

Over 20 ships, including 14 Coast Guard patrol vessels and two Navy vessels, along with four airplanes, were deployed for the overnight search and rescue operation.

After the underwater hunt, the Coast Guard started working on salvaging the boat on Sunday.

The boat was towed to a secured water area near Yokji Island, where the water was calmer. The towing was completed on Sunday morning, according to the Coast Guard.

Additional search operations will continue after the boat is connected to a crane and salvaged on Sunday.

The Coast Guard said it would be able to determine the cause of the accident after the salvaging is completed.

The Tongyeong Coast Guard will conduct the investigation, while a Disaster and Safety Countermeasure Headquarters was set up on Jeju Island.

BY KIM JI-YE [kim.jiye@joongang.co.kr]