Nine people, whose state of health remains uncertain, were found, Sunday, April 24, after the sinking the day before of a tourist boat in the north of Japan, where the waters were cold and agitated. Seventeen other people were still missing.
Of these nine people, some of whom were found at sea and others on the shore, seven were in a state ” unconscious “, according to a spokesman for the Coast Guard, ignoring the state of health of the other two. All were transported to hospitals. The Japanese authorities only speak of death once the death has been officially confirmed by a doctor.
Despite forecasted bad weather, the Kazu-I had set sail on Saturday morning to skirt a side of the Shiretoko peninsula, a preserved natural area northeast of the large northern Japanese island of Hokkaido.
The crew sent out a distress call at 1:13 p.m. (6:13 a.m. French time), reporting that the boat was sinking, with its bow tilted at 30 degrees. The ship was carrying two crew members and 24 passengers, including two children. All were wearing life jackets. But the waters in the region are currently very cold, with a daytime temperature of just two or three degrees, and the coast is still icy in places.
The Coast Guard arrived on the scene only after three hours, and an intense search has been going on ever since. The police, Japan Self-Defense Forces (SDF) and local fishermen are also taking part in the operations, both sea and air.
Two children were on board
Aerial footage from Japanese public broadcaster NHK showed a helicopter and patrol boats exploring the edge of the peninsula, as well as rescuers on shore scanning a very rugged shoreline, with high crashing waves full of foam against large rocks. Other Coastguard footage showed men inspecting crevices in the coast and some items marked with the inscription Kazu-I washed up on the shore.
Japan Coast Guard vessels and a helicopter are searching for a tour boat that ran into trouble in waters off easter… https://t.co/fEBOaI1kGN
The sea was rough at the time of the accident: fishing boats in the vicinity had returned to port before Saturday noon, due to high waves and strong wind, according to a local fishing cooperative quoted by the agency of Japanese Kyodo press. “It was expected that the waves would get higher and higher. I would not have taken to the sea in these conditions”had confided, on Saturday, to Kyodo a person from the same local tourist sector.
the Kazu-I had already suffered damage during an excursion in June, hitting shallows near its home port, according to Japanese media. This incident had not injured anyone but had earned a police investigation targeting the captain of the boat for negligence.
The Shiretoko Peninsula is an important tourist attraction in Hokkaido. The natural site has been classified since 2005 as a UNESCO World Heritage Site for its remarkable terrestrial and marine ecosystems.