Fishing Boat Capsizes Off Gunsan Coast... Captain and 2 Others Dead

Near the coast of Gunsan City, Jeonbuk, a fishing boat capsized, and eight crew members were rescued by the coast guard, but three of them died.

According to the Gunsan Coast Guard Station on the 16th, the captain (71) and the chief engineer (53) of the 77 Daeryeongho (35-ton class, registered in Seocheon), who were transferred to the hospital in a state of cardiac arrest, along with an Indonesian crew member in his 40s, ultimately passed away.

[Image source=Yonhap News]

The remaining five foreign crew members who were rescued with them were reported to be in good health without any major issues.

Earlier that day, at around 7:36 a.m., a report was received by the coast guard that the 77 Daeryeongho had capsized about 7.5 km south of Sipidongpado, Gunsan City.

The coast guard dispatched helicopters and patrol vessels to the scene and rescued all eight crew members who had taken refuge in the cabin and other areas.

The coast guard is investigating the possibility of a collision between vessels based on eyewitness accounts that an oil product carrier (1,618-ton class) passed near the fishing boat at the time of the accident.

A Gunsan Coast Guard official stated, "The exact identity of the deceased foreign crew members has not been confirmed," and added, "We plan to investigate the exact circumstances of the accident with all possibilities open once the treatment of the injured is completed."