Missing tugboat crew member found dead

A crew member missing after a tugboat capsized off Busan was found dead on a Pohang beach, authorities said.

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The TNS Catcher, a tugboat that sank off Busan on Sept. 2, is seen in a photo released by the Korea Coast Guard on Sept. 8.
The TNS Catcher, a tugboat that sank off Busan on Sept. 2, is seen in a photo released by the Korea Coast Guard on Sept. 8.

One of the six crew members missing after a tugboat capsized off Busan was found dead on Wednesday, a week after the maritime accident.

The crew member of the tugboat TNS Catcher was found dead at Dogu Beach in Pohang, North Gyeongsang, at around 8:48 a.m. Wednesday, according to the Korea Coast Guard.

The Coast Guard confirmed the crew member's identity through digital forensic analysis of a mobile phone and fingerprint comparison.

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The TNS Catcher capsized on Sept. 2 while conducting towing operations about 9 kilometers (5.6 miles) east of Oryuk Island in Busan.

The body was discovered more than 100 kilometers from where the tugboat capsized. The crew member is believed to have drifted that distance with the currents.

Of the eight crew members on board, one was rescued, while another was found unconscious and later pronounced dead. The Coast Guard had been searching for the six missing crew members.


BY JEONG HYE-JEONG [[email protected]]

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.

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