5 rescued after falling overboard off coast of Jeju

Five crew members who fell overboard from a cargo ship off the southern coast of Seogwipo, Jeju Island, on Friday were all rescued by the Coast Guard, according to authorities.

Crew members who fell overboard from a cargo ship off the southern coast of Seogwipo, Jeju, are seen inside a helicopter after being rescued by the Seogwipo Coast Guard on Dec. 12. [SEOGWIPO COAST GUARD]

Five crew members who fell overboard from a cargo ship off the southern coast of Seogwipo, Jeju Island, on Friday were all rescued by the Coast Guard, according to authorities.

A report was received at 4:47 p.m. Friday that five crew members had fallen into the sea from a cargo ship, an 8,580-ton vessel with 10 people on board, while it was sailing about 33 kilometers (21 miles) south of Seogwipo Port, according to the Seogwipo Coast Guard.

The Coast Guard immediately dispatched five patrol vessels, two inshore rescue boats and helicopters to the site, while also requesting assistance from nearby vessels.

A Navy vessel and a ship operated by the South Sea Fisheries Management Service, under the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries, also joined the rescue effort. The Coast Guard successfully rescued all five crew members from the water using a helicopter. All are reportedly in stable condition.

At the time of the accident, northeast winds were blowing at speeds of 10 to 14 meters per second (22 to 31 miles per hour), and the waves were around 2 meters (6.6 feet) high, making for relatively rough sea conditions.

The Coast Guard is investigating the exact circumstances and cause of the incident.

This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom. BY JEONG JAE-HONG [lim.jeongwon@joongang.co.kr]