1 dead, 1 Indonesian missing after fishing vessel sinks off Busan coast
Headquarters of the Korea Coast Guard in Incheon / Courtesy of the Korea Coast Guard
A fishing vessel sank off the coast of the southeastern city of Busan on Friday, leaving the captain dead and one crew member missing, the Coast Guard said.
The 79-ton vessel sent a distress signal around noon before sinking 61.6 kilometers east of Busan's Songjeong harbor.
Of the eight crew members onboard, seven — three Koreans and four Indonesians — were rescued, while one Indonesian remained missing.
One of the Koreans, the captain in his 60s, was found in a state of cardiac arrest and transferred to a hospital but he later died.
The Coast Guard said it has sent patrol ships and aircraft to search the site of the sinking. The vessel appeared to have capsized and sunk while turning as it pulled up fishing nets, it said.
Prime Minister Kim Min-seok gave emergency instructions to the oceans ministry and the Coast Guard to first rescue the missing crew member in collaboration with patrol ships and nearby fishing vessels, according to his office.
He also instructed the defense minister to send available personnel and equipment to support the rescue operations.