The Japan Coast Guard uses patrol aircraft and boats on Saturday to search for a tourist boat, which had 26 people on board, more than nine hours after the vessel issued a warning that it was sinking in the sea. island of Hokkaido in the north of the country.
Authorities heard from the crew of the “Kazu 1” around 1:15 pm – 1:15 am ET – that the ship was filling with water and starting to sink, a Coast Guard official said.
The ship was last heard from around 3pm local time when it contacted its operating company to say it was sinking at a 30-degree angle, Kyodo news agency reported.
The crew said passengers on board were wearing life jackets, public broadcaster NHK said.
There were 24 passengers, including two children, on board and two crew members, the Guard official said.
No one answered calls to the office of the company that manages the “Kazu 1” sightseeing tours.
The Coast Guard was still looking around 10:30 pm, the official said.
Five patrol boats and two aircraft were sent for the search and help was requested from Japanese defense forces, the media said.
Prime Minister Fumio Kishida has instructed officials to use all available tools in the search, Kyodo said, citing people familiar with the matter.
The boat was in the Shiretoko Peninsula area off the coast of Japan’s northernmost island, and is believed to have been near Kashinu Falls, a popular tourist spot for its natural beauty, when it reported difficulties.
The ship holds 65 people and tours of the Shiretoko area usually last around three hours, according to the tour company’s website.
The boat left Utoro port at around 10am on Saturday and was due to return to port at 1pm, NHK reported.
The waves were high and the fishing boats in the area had returned to port by mid-morning.
Source: CNN Brasil
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