Five crew members were rescued by the Korean Coast Guard after falling overboard from a cargo ship near Jeju Island. Investigation underway.
The Korean Coast Guard has successfully rescued five crew members who fell into the sea from a cargo ship. The circumstances surrounding their simultaneous fall remain unclear, as no emergency notification indicated that the vessel was in distress.
The Coast Guard station on the southwestern coast of Seogwipo, Jeju Island, received a report at approximately 16:45 local time, stating that five crew members had fallen overboard from an 8,580-ton cargo ship. The Sierra Leone-flagged vessel had a total of 15 crew members aboard.
At the time of the incident, the ship was sailing approximately 20 miles southwest of Jeju Island, where strong winds of 22 to 31 knots and waves exceeding 6 feet were reported.
In response to the emergency report, the Coast Guard dispatched five patrol boats, two rescue boats, and a helicopter. Additionally, a naval vessel and a ship operated by the South Sea Fisheries Management Service provided support for the rescue operations.
Upon arrival at the scene around 17:30 local time, Coast Guard teams discovered that the five crew members were in a lifeboat. They were subsequently airlifted by the Coast Guard helicopter and transported to a local hospital for evaluation.
Coast Guard officials have stated that an investigation is ongoing to determine how five individuals from the same ship fell into the sea and the circumstances that necessitated their rescue.
Source: www.denizhaber.com
