No Success in Second Night Search for Six Missing Tugboat Crew Members as Weather Worsens off Busan

The second overnight search for six crew members missing after a tugboat overturned and sank off Busan ended without results, as worsening weather prevented some aircraft and vessels from joining the operation.

The Busan Coast Guard searched from 7 p.m. on Sept. 3 until 6 a.m. on Sept. 4 for the missing crew of the 286-ton TNS Catcher. The vessel had eight people aboard, including five South Koreans and one Indonesian among those still unaccounted for.

Authorities planned to deploy 14 vessels and three aircraft during the overnight operation with other agencies. But high waves and poor weather kept some of them from taking part. A coast guard official said, "The waves were high and the weather became too bad to fly aircraft," adding that vessels involved in the search used illumination flares.

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The waves were high and the weather became too bad to fly aircraft.

A storm warning remains in effect off Busan. The coast guard plans to assess expected currents, set search areas accordingly, and continue operations during daylight hours.

The tugboat overturned at about 1:29 p.m. on Sept. 2, roughly 9 kilometers southeast of Oryukdo, while attempting to tow a 66,332-ton container ship identified as Vessel A. It sank completely at about 3:27 p.m. One person died and one was rescued, leaving six crew members missing.

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Vessels involved in the search used illumination flares.