The Coast Guard has launched a nighttime search for six crew members missing after a tugboat capsized off the coast of Busan. A total of 19 vessels, including 11 from the Coast Guard and four from the Navy, along with three aircraft and an underwater drone, are being deployed for the operation.
According to the Busan Coast Guard, the search began at 7 p.m. on September 2. The area where the tugboat, identified as A-ho, sank has been divided into 15 sections measuring 25 kilometers wide and 12 kilometers long, with vessels assigned to each section. Additionally, two Air Force aircraft will assist in the search, deploying approximately 270 flares for nighttime visibility.
The Coast Guard is expediting the search efforts, considering the survival chances of the missing crew members. According to international maritime search and rescue guidelines, the maximum survival time for individuals missing at sea in water temperatures above 20 degrees Celsius is over 40 hours. As of 5:40 p.m. on the same day, the water temperature near Oryukdo was recorded at 25.1 degrees Celsius.
In addition to the search, the Coast Guard has established an investigation team to determine the exact cause of the incident.
The 286-ton tugboat A-ho capsized around 1:29 p.m. approximately nine kilometers east of Oryukdo. It completely sank about two hours later, at 3:27 p.m.
At the time of the incident, there were eight people on board, including six South Koreans and two Indonesians. One Indonesian crew member was rescued by a passing cargo ship. A South Korean crew member was found unconscious and later died at a hospital. The remaining six crew members are still missing, and search efforts are ongoing.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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