A tuna fishing boat by the name of “FUKUEI MARU No.8” ran aground after it lost its ability to sail following an engine failure on Sunday, March 3rd. The unfortunate incident led to the loss of life of the ship’s first engineer.
The ship had left Shimizu Port of Shizuoka City at around 11:00 AM on Sunday and was headed towards the South American coast, where it would be fishing for tuna for a year.
The ship is 379 gross tons, 56.16m long, and has a beam of 8m. It was built in 1992 by Kansashi Heavy Industries, situated in Shizuoka, Japan. It is owned and managed by Maegata Suisan, based out of Ichikikushikino, Japan.
After around 5 hours of departure, the ship’s engine stalled, rendering the vessel unable to sail. The ship was then set adrift by rough seas and powerful winds and was off the coast of Kozushima Island in the group of Izu Islands, south of Tokyo when the accident occurred. The ship hit rocks and ran aground on the northwest side of Kozushima Island at around 10:50 p.m. on Sunday, March 3rd.
The Coast Guard arrived on the scene around two hours after a distress signal was sent by the ship’s captain.
The 3rd Regional Coast Guard Headquarters has stated that there were 25 people aboard the ship, including 5 Japanese crewmembers and 20 Indonesian crewmembers. The crewmembers were rescued by a Japanese Coast Guard helicopter as they clung to the half-submerged vessel.
