High Winds and Rough Seas Hamper Underwater Search for Missing Crew of Busan Tugboat

High Seas Advisory Issued Off Busan
Search Operations Hampered by Rough Waves and Strong Winds

The Coast Guard continued nighttime search operations on September 4 to locate six missing crew members following the capsizing of a tugboat off the coast of Busan.

Tugboat Capsizes Off Busan Coast, Search Continues for Third Day. Yonhap News

The Busan Coast Guard announced that, starting at 7 p.m. that day, it would begin the third night of search operations in an effort to find the six missing individuals.

For nighttime operations, six vessels from the Coast Guard, Navy, and other agencies were deployed. Due to a high seas advisory in effect off Busan, only large vessels of 1,000 tons or more have been mobilized.

The Coast Guard has set a search area 50 kilometers wide and 31 kilometers long for its maritime search. Due to worsening weather conditions, underwater searches are not being conducted.

It has also proven difficult to dispatch aircraft to drop illuminating flares. The Coast Guard plans to utilize military coastal surveillance equipment (TOD) for the search.

During the daytime search earlier that day, the Coast Guard found neither the missing crew members nor any of their belongings. Nine vessels and two aircraft were involved in the daytime search.

The search efforts have been hampered by waves reaching 3 to 4 meters and northeasterly winds blowing at speeds of 18 to 20 meters per second in the accident area. A high seas advisory remains in effect for the waters off Busan and Ulsan until the morning of September 8.

The Busan-registered tugboat TNS Catcher capsized on September 2 while conducting towing operations approximately 9 kilometers east of Oryukdo. Of the eight crew members on board at the time, one was rescued, one was found unresponsive and later pronounced dead, and the remaining six are still missing.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.