Six still missing three days after Busan tugboat capsizes

Three days after the tugboat TNS Catcher capsized off Busan, six crew members remain missing and rescuers have found no further survivors or personal belongings.

The Busan Coast Guard searched overnight from 6 p.m. on Sept. 3 until the morning of Sept. 4. Fourteen coast guard and navy vessels, along with 10 thermal-imaging devices, covered a sea area measuring about 30 kilometers by 50 kilometers around the sunken tugboat and predicted drift areas. A plan to use aircraft and illumination flares had to be abandoned because strong winds prevented the aircraft from taking off. High waves and strong currents also hindered the operation.

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We are in a situation where we must continue searching for possible people drifting at sea.

The search remains focused on the possibility that people escaped the tugboat after the accident and are drifting at sea. After three days without further discoveries, some analysts believe that many of the missing crew could be inside the wreck, which lies about 87 meters below the surface. The coast guard said it still needed to continue looking for possible drift victims.

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The Kuroshio Current flows rapidly northeast around the accident area, so as time passes, the search area for drifting people may widen and finding them may become more difficult.

An Indonesian crew member who survived reportedly told investigators that he was cooking when the accident occurred, put on a life jacket and escaped from the vessel. During his escape, he saw another crew member coming out.

The coast guard had not decided how long the concentrated sea search would continue. It planned to deploy seven vessels and eight aircraft during the day on Sept. 4, while also checking the coastline near the accident site, including Gwangalli and Songjeong beaches. Standard diving methods cannot easily reach 87 meters, so officials are considering assistance from the navy and private specialists. The operator is also discussing salvage and access plans with a private company.

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Because missing people may remain inside the vessel, it is necessary to consider underwater search methods using remotely operated underwater vehicles.

Kong Gil-young, a professor at Korea Maritime and Ocean University, said the Kuroshio Current flows rapidly northeast around the site, potentially widening the search area and making discoveries more difficult over time. He urged consideration of remotely operated underwater vehicles. Salvage expert Ryu Chan-yeol said a search or recovery operation at that depth would require specialized equipment, personnel and substantial funding. He also said authorities should continue searching at sea because bodies could later rise to the surface as gases develop during decomposition.

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Searching or salvaging a vessel sunk at a depth of 87 meters requires specialized equipment and personnel and also involves considerable costs.