Three men rescued after fishing boat capsizes off Incheon; missing for 11 hours

Three men in their 20s and 30s were rescued off the coast of Incheon, South Korea, after their fishing motorboat capsized and they were out of contact for nearly 11 hours. The men were found safe and without life-threatening injuries near Chodo Island in Ongjin County on the morning of August 10.

The group had departed from Wangsan Beach in Jung-gu, Incheon, around 12:30 p.m. on August 9 for a fishing trip. They made their last known communication around 7:10 p.m. that evening. After losing contact, the boat owner reported them missing to the police around 10:30 p.m.

“

Wearing life vests played a big role in being able to endure for a long time at sea.

The Incheon Coast Guard launched an extensive search operation, deploying three aircraft and 19 patrol vessels. The search was challenging as the motorboat lacked an Automatic Identification System (AIS), making precise location tracking difficult. However, the Coast Guard utilized location tracking applications provided by the wife of one of the missing men to narrow down the search area.

Officials highlighted that the men's survival was significantly aided by wearing life vests and the relatively high water temperature of 25.8 degrees Celsius at the time. Yang Jong-ta, head of the Incheon Coast Guard, stressed the critical role of life vests in such prolonged survival situations and urged all individuals engaging in water leisure activities to prioritize safety equipment and conduct pre-departure checks.

“

Even for short trips for water leisure activities, unexpected accidents can occur, so please be sure to check safety equipment before setting sail and make wearing life vests a habit.