A fishing boat carrying 22 people, including passengers and the captain, drifted due to an engine failure near Aphae Bridge in Sinan County, Jeollanam-do. The coast guard responded quickly, ensuring no injuries occurred.
According to the Mokpo Coast Guard, a report was received at approximately 6:40 a.m. on September 5, indicating that a 9.77-ton fishing boat registered in Mokpo was unable to operate about 1.8 kilometers north of Aphae Bridge.
The boat had 21 passengers and one captain on board.
The vessel experienced a sudden engine failure while underway, prompting the captain to request assistance from the coast guard.
Upon receiving the report, the coast guard dispatched nearby rescue units, including the coastal rescue boat from the North Port Police Station. The rescue team arrived at the scene about 14 minutes after the report was made.
The area where the incident occurred is a narrow channel, and if the boat continued to drift with engine failure, there was a risk of collision with other vessels or grounding, necessitating a swift response.
The coastal rescue boat that arrived first transferred 11 passengers to safety. An additional seven passengers were then moved to a rescue vessel from the West Sea Marine Special Rescue Team, which transported them to Dock 2 at Mokpo North Port, where they disembarked safely.
The remaining three passengers chose to stay on the boat with the captain.
The fishing boat later entered Mokpo North Port safely with the assistance of a vessel dispatched by the coast guard.
All 22 individuals on board, including passengers and the captain, were unharmed.
Choi Won-sik, head of the Mokpo Coast Guard, stated, “The incident occurred in a narrow channel, which could have led to a secondary accident, but fortunately, we were able to resolve the situation without any harm.” He urged, “As we enter the peak fishing season in autumn, please ensure thorough checks of vessel conditions and engines before departure.”
* This article has been translated by AI.
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