Shipwreck Log

The 7025 dwt freighter Shinline 8 sank in the East China Sea near Jeju Island, South Korea.  The crew contacted the Coast Guard that the freighter had suffered water ingress in the engine room.  The ingress had caused a power outage and that vessel’s pumps had failed.   The Coast Guard dispatched a high-speed rescue craft to the scene.  The rescuers were able to evacuate 15 crew from the Shinline 8 and proceeded back to shore.  Four other crew remained on the vessel   However, the rescue craft capsized in the rough seas with waves reaching four meters high.  Five crewmen died while one rescuers was injured.   The crew hung to the overturn rescue craft until other rescuers arrived pulling the men from the water.  The four crew left on board the Shinline were also rescued.  Reports state the rescue boat had a maximum capacity for 11 people and was overloaded.   An investigation has been launched into the incident.

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• South Korean coast guard officers, background right and second right, prepare to transfer seamen from the sinking Malaysian cargo ship Shinline to a South Korean coast guard ship, foreground, off the southern island of Jeju, South Korea, Thursday, O (philstar.com)
• 3 Pinoys, 2 Chinese sailors die as South Korean boat sinks (shippingtribune.com)
• 5 sailors killed as boat capsizes off S. Korea’s Jeju Island (nzweek.com)