Changwon Coast Guard officers are searching for the missing person aboard a patrol vessel. Photo by Changwon Coast Guard Station
On October 27, a search operation was launched by the Coast Guard after a diver in his 50s failed to surface while working near Mangwado, located 0.1 nautical miles southwest off Geoje City.
According to the Changwon Coast Guard Station, a report was received at approximately 9:37 a.m. that morning stating, "The diver has not come up after entering the water."
The diver, a man in his 50s identified as Mr. A, was a crew member on a 4-ton fishing vessel. He had entered the sea that morning using diving equipment to collect shellfish and other marine products.
The captain of the fishing vessel notified the Coast Guard after only the oxygen supply hose, which Mr. A had been using while diving, surfaced without him.
The Changwon Coast Guard has determined that Mr. A is missing and has dispatched patrol vessels, coastal rescue boats from Jinhae and Sinhang substations, and the Changwon rescue team to the scene. In addition, government vessels, the Marine Disaster Rescue Team, and a helicopter from the Namhae Regional Coast Guard Headquarters have been mobilized to search both the surrounding waters and underwater areas.
The site of the accident, where Mr. A went missing, is estimated to have a depth of 30 meters.
At the scene, northwesterly winds are currently blowing at speeds of 8 to 10 meters per second, with wave heights reaching 1 meter and visibility around 3 meters.
A representative from the Changwon Coast Guard stated, "We are making every possible effort to rescue the diver."
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