The family of a missing crew member has called for a thorough investigation into the capsizing of a tugboat off the coast of Busan, after reviewing closed-circuit television (CCTV) footage of the incident.
According to Yonhap News Agency, the Coast Guard shared the CCTV footage with the families of the missing and deceased at a waiting room in Dong-gu, Busan.
One family member stated, "As you can see in the video, it is hard to understand how the boat capsized so quickly. There may have been an issue with the wire connecting the tugboat and the cargo ship, or it could have gotten caught in a screw." Another family member, who has experience as a crew member, added, "A boat does not capsize suddenly. I urge the Coast Guard to conduct a thorough investigation into the cause of the accident."
A Coast Guard official responded, "We will prioritize verifying the concerns raised and will need to conduct an investigation to determine the details."
In particular, a family member of a navigator noted, "The video gives the impression that the wire (towline) was suddenly pulled tight, indicating that this was an accident caused by someone's mistake. It seems that there was a sudden issue with the wire connecting the tugboat and the cargo ship."
During a press briefing, the Busan Coast Guard stated that two tugboats were towing a cargo ship from the left and right sides while another was pushing from the stern. They suspect that the TNS Catcher capsized during a right turn due to the towline.
Meanwhile, the 286-ton tugboat TNS Catcher capsized around 1:29 p.m. the previous day, approximately 9 kilometers east of Oryukdo. Of the eight crew members on board, one Indonesian was rescued, while one Korean was found unconscious and later died. The remaining six crew members are missing.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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