Search continues for livestock ship off Japan
Survivor says ship stalled in typhoon-tossed seas
TOKYO – Japanese rescuers were searching Thursday for a livestock ship carrying 42 crew members that a survivor said sank during rough weather a day earlier off a southern Japanese island, the coast guard said.
The Filipino crew member was rescued late Wednesday after Japanese navy P-3C surveillance aircraft spotted him wearing a life vest and waving while bobbing in the water.
The man, who was hospitalized but in good health, told rescuers the ship stalled when an engine stopped, then capsized and sank after being broadsided by a wave, coast guard regional spokesman Yuichiro Higashi said.
The survivor, a chief officer, said he put on a life jacket and jumped into the sea, following instructions in an emergency onboard announcement.
He has not seen any other crew members since, Higashi said.
The 11,947-ton Gulf Livestock 1 ship was carrying 5,800 cows west of Amami Oshima in the East China Sea when it sent a distress call early Wednesday.
The weather was rough in the area because of Typhoon Maysak.
The typhoon has since passed and the weather during the search is fine, Higashi said.
The ship’s other crew members include 38 from the Philippines, two from New Zealand and two from Australia.
The ship left the port of Napier in northeastern New Zealand in mid-August and was on its way to Tangshan on China’s eastern coast.
Its automatic identification system tracker gave its last position nearly two days ago, according to the shiptracking website MarineTraffic.com.
Based on that position, it was sailing in winds of 58 knots (66 mph), MarineTraffic.com said.
The ship’s operator, Gulf Navigation Holdings PJSC, based in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, declined to comment.
The company, traded on the Dubai Financial Market, says it owns and operates chemical tankers, livestock vessels and other ships.
The 11,947-ton Gulf Livestock 1 ship was carrying 5,800 cows west of Amami Oshima in the East China Sea when it sent a distress call early Wednesday.