The 286-tonne, Busan-registered tug TNS Catcher capsized on September 2 at around 1:29 p.m. local time in waters roughly nine kilometers east of Oryukdo Island while working alongside two other tugs to maneuver the Liberia-flagged MSC containership MSC Ikaria VI into port. Of the eight crew aboard — six South Koreans and two Indonesians — one Indonesian cook was rescued after climbing onto the capsized hull and being pulled up a ladder lowered by the containership’s crew, while a South Korean crew member was recovered unconscious from the water and later died in hospital. The tug sank completely about two hours after capsizing and was later located on the seabed at a depth of roughly 87 meters. Search efforts, now in their fourth day, have deployed a fleet of Coast Guard, Navy and municipal vessels, including the Navy salvage ship ROKS Gwangyang, with President Lee Jae Myung ordering the Navy to join the operation.
Busan Coast Guard investigators believe the tug may have been overwhelmed by towline tension while executing a turn: two tugs were pulling from either side of the containership’s bow while a third, TNS Catcher, pushed from the starboard bow before rolling sharply to port and capsizing. CCTV footage retrieved from the containership reportedly shows the tug beginning a starboard turn before suddenly rolling over, and officials have said the vessel’s speed and timing may not have matched during the maneuver, though it remains unconfirmed whether the towline itself became caught. Families of the missing crew, after viewing the footage, have voiced suspicion that the wire connecting the tug to the merchant ship was suddenly yanked, and are pressing authorities for a fuller investigation into the cause of the accident as the search for the six unaccounted-for crew members continues.
Source: Splash247 / Maritime Executive — https://splash247.com/six-missing-after-tug-capsizes-off-busan/
Tags: Busan, Tugboat Safety, MSC, South Korea
