Three rescued after going missing on motorboat off Incheon coast

Three people who went missing after setting out on a motorboat for fishing near Jawol Island have been safely rescued by the Incheon Coast Guard. The group, consisting of two individuals in their 20s and one in their 30s, had been reported missing after failing to return.

The alarm was raised on the evening of August 9 when a family member reported the motorboat (0.28t) overdue. The Coast Guard immediately established a regional rescue headquarters and mobilized all available resources, including patrol boats, vessels from cooperating agencies, and aircraft, to conduct an intensive search in the waters around Choji and Jawol Islands.

Early on August 10, at approximately 6:12 AM, the missing individuals were located near Choji Island. They were found clinging to their capsized motorboat, all wearing life vests. Fortunately, their conditions were stable, and they did not appear to be in life-threatening danger.

The Coast Guard has since transported the survivors to safety and is now investigating the precise circumstances that led to the boat capsizing and their subsequent disappearance. The incident highlights the potential dangers of recreational boating, even in relatively familiar waters.