Nighttime search underway for 2 missing crew members from sunken fishing vessel as Coast Guard mounts full-scale rescue

Jeju, The Financial News – A fishing vessel operating in offshore waters southwest of Chagwido Island off Jeju Island sank about seven hours after a fire broke out, leaving two crew members missing. The Korea Coast Guard is continuing search operations focused on the accident site.
According to the Jeju Coast Guard Station, a report was received at 9:58 a.m. on the 14th that a fire had broken out on the offshore gillnet fishing vessel A (29 tons), registered at Hallim Port. The vessel was located about 90 km southwest of Chagwido Island in Gosan-ri, Hangyeong-myeon, Jeju City.
At the time of the accident, 10 crew members were on board. Nearby fishing vessels that were operating in the area launched an emergency rescue and saved eight of them. However, the fate of two Korean crew members in their 50s, who are believed to have been inside the vessel, remains unknown.
The Coast Guard arrived on scene at 10:50 a.m., about 50 minutes after the report, and began firefighting operations. However, the fire, which started in the upper structure of the vessel, had already spread to most of the hull. It is reported that about 80% of the vessel had been burned, and intense heat and debris made it difficult for rescue teams to enter the interior.
In particular, the vessel was made of Fiber Reinforced Plastic (FRP), which made the fire difficult to extinguish quickly. As a result, firefighting efforts took a considerable amount of time.
The Coast Guard deployed helicopters, patrol ships and government vessels to conduct firefighting and rescue operations simultaneously. A total of 11 ships from the Coast Guard, related agencies and the private sector, along with three aircraft, were mobilized in the accident area.
The flames were completely brought under control at 4:53 p.m. on the 14th. However, due to severe structural damage from the fire, the vessel eventually sank at 5:44 p.m.
After the fire was fully extinguished, the Coast Guard installed lift bags and attempted to send rescue divers to check the crew quarters at the stern. However, due to extensive structural collapse of the hull, they were unable to enter the interior and could not confirm conditions inside the vessel.

The eight rescued crew members consist of two Koreans and six Indonesian nationals. Four of the Indonesian crew, who inhaled smoke and complained of chest pain, were airlifted by Coast Guard and fire department helicopters to hospitals in Jeju City.
The remaining four crew members were found to be in generally good condition and arrived at the Port of Jeju on a Coast Guard patrol vessel later that night.
The Coast Guard has deployed eight patrol vessels and is conducting nighttime search operations within a radius of five nautical miles centered on the sinking site. Winds of 2–3 meters per second are blowing in the area, with waves about 1 meter high. The water depth at the site is about 80 meters.
A Coast Guard official said, "Based on the captain's statement that two crew members were resting in the cabin at the time of the accident, we attempted to check the interior after the fire was extinguished, but structural collapse made entry impossible." The official added, "We are continuing the search for the two missing crew members."


jyb@fnnews.com Jeong Yong-bok Reporter