Fishing boat with 11 aboard runs aground near Jeju's Chagwido, no injuries
In short
A 24-tonne fishing boat with 11 people aboard ran aground on rocks about 100 metres south of Chagwido in Jeju City on the morning of 4 October. All those aboard wore life jackets and no one was hurt, and a sobriety test on the captain found no drinking. The boat was pulled free in the afternoon with help from another vessel in its fleet, a roughly 40-centimetre gash was found in its hull without flooding, and it reached Hallim port under its own power at about 16:28.
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A 24-tonne inshore gillnet fishing boat ran aground on rocks about 100 metres south of Chagwido in Jeju City on the morning of 4 October, with 11 people aboard. All of those on board were wearing life jackets and there were no casualties, according to the Jeju Coast Guard. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
The Jeju Coast Guard received a report at about 09:16 that the vessel had struck rocks. Eleven people were aboard — four Koreans and seven foreigners. Coast guard rescue teams and patrol ships were sent to check the boat's condition, and divers who entered the water found about one-third of the bow resting on the rocks. No puncture or flooding was found at that point, and a sobriety test on the captain showed he had not been drinking. [ 1 , 3 ]
As the tide rose, the coast guard used a 29-tonne vessel from the same fleet to pull the boat off the rocks at about 14:54. Yonhap reported the boat was freed about five hours after it ran aground; Kyunghyang Shinmun reported the interval as about five hours and 30 minutes. A damaged area of about 40 centimetres was then found on the lower hull, but no water had entered the boat. [ 1 , 3 ]
The boat sailed under its own power and entered Hallim port at about 16:28. [ 1 , 3 ]
The captain told the coast guard he had dozed off while sailing, and the coast guard said it is investigating the exact circumstances of the accident. A Jeju Coast Guard official said drowsy sailing can lead to serious accidents such as groundings and collisions because it reduces a person's judgement and attention, and urged crews to rest sufficiently and sail safely. [ 1 , 3 ]
Why it matters
The accident closed without injuries, and the coast guard used it to repeat its standing warning that drowsy sailing can cause groundings and collisions. The Jeju Coast Guard said it is still investigating how the grounding happened, so any finding on the cause is still open.
Key facts
- A 24-tonne inshore gillnet fishing boat ran aground on rocks about 100 metres south of Chagwido in Jeju City on the morning of 4 October. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
- Eleven people were aboard — four Koreans and seven foreigners. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
- All those aboard were wearing life jackets and there were no casualties. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
- Divers found about one-third of the bow resting on the rocks, with no puncture or flooding at the time, and a sobriety test on the captain showed he had not been drinking. [ 1 , 3 ]
- The boat was pulled off the rocks at about 14:54 with help from a 29-tonne vessel from the same fleet, after which a damaged area of about 40 centimetres was found on the hull but no water had entered. [ 1 , 3 ]
- The boat sailed on its own and entered Hallim port at about 16:28. [ 1 , 3 ]
- The captain told the coast guard he had dozed off while sailing, and the coast guard is investigating the exact circumstances. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
Confirmed by several sources
- A 24-tonne fishing boat ran aground on rocks about 100 metres south of Chagwido in Jeju City on 4 October. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
- Eleven people were aboard, all wearing life jackets, and no one was injured. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
- The coast guard found no puncture or flooding when it inspected the hull, and the captain tested as not having been drinking. [ 1 , 3 ]
- The boat was pulled free with a 29-tonne vessel from the same fleet at about 14:54 and entered Hallim port under its own power at about 16:28. [ 1 , 3 ]
Still unclear
- How long the boat was stuck on the rocks. Yonhap reported it was freed about five hours after grounding, while Kyunghyang Shinmun reported about five hours and 30 minutes; the documents do not explain the difference.
- What caused the grounding. The documents report only the captain's statement that he dozed off while sailing, and say the coast guard is still investigating; no investigative conclusion is given.
- Whether the 40-centimetre damaged area on the hull required repairs. The documents say only that the damage was found and that there was no flooding inside the boat.
What local media are saying
Timeline, local time
- The Jeju Coast Guard receives a report that the 24-tonne fishing boat has run aground on rocks about 100 metres south of Chagwido. [ 1 , 3 ]
- The boat is pulled off the rocks with the help of a 29-tonne vessel from the same fleet as the tide rises. [ 1 , 3 ]
- The boat arrives at Hallim port under its own power. [ 1 , 3 ]