Search operations for six missing crew members from the capsized tugboat TNS Catcher in waters off Busan have entered their fourth day but are facing difficulties due to worsening weather conditions, including strong winds and high waves.
According to the Busan Coast Guard on the 5th, no missing persons or personal belongings were found during the nighttime search conducted near the accident site since the previous afternoon. The Coast Guard deployed six vessels for this nighttime operation. Due to the adverse weather, only large vessels over 1,000 tons were mobilized. A wind and wave advisory remains in effect for the waters off Busan, with rough waves and strong winds hampering search efforts.
Underwater searches for the sunken TNS Catcher hull have also been suspended.
The Coast Guard plans to switch to daytime search operations starting at 9 a.m. today. Additional equipment, including vessels, will be deployed for the daytime search.
The Busan-registered tugboat TNS Catcher capsized while towing cargo approximately 9 km east of Oryukdo on the afternoon of the 2nd. Of the eight crew members on board, one was rescued, another was found unconscious and later died, and the remaining six remain missing.
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