 |
| ▲ This photo, provided by fire services on Jeju Island, shows the scene of two fishing boats that ran aground in waters off the island on Feb. 1, 2025. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap) |
(2nd LD) fishing boats-accident
(2nd LD) 2 fishing boats run aground in Jeju, leaving 1 dead, 3 missing
(ATTN: RECASTS headline, lead; UPDATES with more details throughout)
JEJU, South Korea, Feb. 1 (Yonhap) -- Two fishing boats carrying 15 crew members ran aground Saturday in waters off the southern resort island of Jeju, leaving one dead and three others missing, according to the Coast Guard.
The Coast Guard said it received reports that a 32-ton fishing boat carrying seven people and a 29-ton vessel with eight crew members were stranded on a rock in waters off Jeju Island at 9:24 a.m.
As of noon, 12 crew members had been rescued. Of them, the captain of the 32-ton boat was found in cardiac arrest and was transported to a hospital. But he was later pronounced dead.
Of the rescued people, one member was also moved to a hospital after passing out, but there seems to be no serious health problems. The 10 others were reportedly suffering from hypothermia, but the cases are believed to be minor.
One Coast Guard official sustained an injury on his hand during rescue operations.
Authorities are continuing search operations for the three other missing crew members, according to the Coast Guard.
The captains of the two boats are both South Korean nationals, and the crew members are foreigners, including those from Vietnam and Indonesia.
Earlier in the day, acting President Choi Sang-mok ordered officials to mobilize all available resources to rescue the crew and also called for guaranteeing the safety of rescue workers, citing bad weather at sea.
(END)
(C) Yonhap News Agency. All Rights Reserved
