Motorboat Capsizes off Yeongjong Island, Water Accidents Kill Six as Coast Guard Tightens Safety Measures

Two people died after a 1.6-ton motorboat carrying nine passengers overturned near Wangsan Marina on Incheon’s Yeongjong Island.

The boat began taking on water on the morning of Sept. 5, according to the Incheon Coast Guard and other authorities. It overturned soon after the emergency call was made. A nearby fishing boat rescued all nine people on board.

Two men, in their 40s and 60s, were pulled from the boat in cardiac arrest. Emergency medical crews took them to hospital, but both later died. The other seven passengers were found to have suffered no serious health problems. Investigators said everyone on the motorboat had been wearing a life jacket.

The Coast Guard is investigating the circumstances of the accident, including the caller’s report that “the waves are so strong that the boat looks like it will overturn.” In North Gyeongsang Province, four people also died in separate accidents at the sea and in valleys. The repeated water-related deaths have led authorities to strengthen marine safety management even though the summer vacation season has ended.

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The waves are so strong that the boat looks like it will overturn.