Mokpo Coast Guard Rescues All Crew Members from Grounded Vessel off Jindo Coast

Causes of Drowsy Driving During Automatic Steering

Mokpo Maritime Police Station (Chief Kwon Oh-seong) urgently rescued fishing vessel A (24t, coastal gillnet, Wando-registered, 12 crew members) that ran aground near Yangdeokdo, Jindo-gun, at around 1:59 PM on the 16th.

Mokpo Metropolitan Vessel Traffic Service Center (Mokpo Metropolitan VTS) detected that vessel A was not moving near Yangdeokdo during navigation. After communicating with the captain, they confirmed the grounding incident and reported it to Mokpo Maritime Police.

The Coast Guard is approaching the Seokbak stranded near Yangdeokdo, Jindo-gun. Photo by Mokpo Coast Guard Station

Mokpo Maritime Police immediately dispatched available forces including patrol vessels and coastal rescue boats, instructed the crew to wear life jackets to ensure their safety, and requested assistance from nearby fishing vessels.

At the time of the accident, vessel A was grounded on the starboard bow side, with a hull breach causing slight flooding, making prompt action necessary to prevent secondary accidents.

Since patrol vessels could not approach due to shallow water, police officers boarded a small private marine rescue boat operating near the accident site and rescued all crew members.

According to an investigation targeting the captain and others, the accident was caused by drowsy driving during automatic steering.

Meanwhile, vessel A was towed and refloated by a nearby fleet vessel at around 3:04 PM, with no casualties or marine pollution damage confirmed.