Navy Sailor Found Dead After 21-Hour Search; Life Vest Not Worn

A crew member of a Navy frigate who went missing in waters near the Northern Limit Line (NLL) in the East Sea has been found dead after a search operation lasting over 20 hours.

The Navy, which led the search operation, stated, "At approximately 5:58 a.m. today, we discovered and recovered the body of the Navy sailor who went missing from a patrol ship in the East Sea yesterday, at a location 52 km east of Geojin-eup, Goseong-gun, in the East Sea."

It was reported that the missing sailor was not wearing a life vest when the body was discovered.

The recovered body has been transferred to another frigate and is scheduled to arrive at the Navy's East Sea base later this morning.

Previously, at 8:00 a.m. yesterday, the sailor, who was aboard a Navy frigate on patrol duty 50 km east of Geojin-eup in the East Sea, was reported missing after failing to show up for duty.

The missing sailor was reportedly last seen by a fellow crew member on duty who was patrolling the interior of the ship between 12:00 a.m. and 2:00 a.m. the previous day.

The Navy, in coordination with the Coast Guard, deployed multiple ships and aircraft to conduct a search for the missing person. After locating the sailor, the body was recovered at approximately 6:43 a.m. today using a Rigid Inflatable Boat (RIB) from the frigate (FFG).

The Navy stated, "A joint investigation by civilian police and military investigative authorities will be conducted to determine the exact circumstances of the incident and the cause of death." They plan to proceed with an investigation into the sailor's movements, including an analysis of CCTV footage from inside the ship.

Reported by Kim Taewon | Video by Hong Jinyoung | Graphics by Yang Hyemin | Produced by SBS Digital News
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.