3 Crew Members Showing Symptoms of Pufferfish Poisoning Urgently Transported from Jeju Hwasun Port

[Jeju=Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Hwang Jeongpil] Three crew members of a fishing vessel docked at Hwasun Port in Seogwipo City, Jeju, showed suspected symptoms of pufferfish toxin poisoning and were urgently transported by the Seogwipo Coast Guard.

According to the Seogwipo Coast Guard on the 13th, at around 2:47 a.m. that day, a report was received that three crew members of fishing vessel A (44t, single trawl large purse seine, registered in Hallim), docked at Hwasun Port in Andeok-myeon, Seogwipo City, were experiencing dizziness and paralysis symptoms.

The Hwasun Police Substation of the Seogwipo Coast Guard and the Andeok 119 Center of the Western Fire Station, who responded to the report, jointly brought the three crew members (male, one in his 60s, two in their 50s) onto the pier and transported them to a medical institution using a 119 ambulance.

They had consumed pufferfish caught during fishing on the 11th at around 7:30 p.m. the previous day on the docked fishing vessel and were resting when dizziness and full-body paralysis symptoms appeared, prompting the report. All three transported to the medical institution are reported to be out of life-threatening condition.

The Seogwipo Coast Guard is investigating the exact circumstances of the accident with the captain and the involved parties.

Jeju=Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Hwang Jeongpil baekok@asiae.co.kr