"Seems He Broke Wheelhouse Window to Escape"... Bereaved Family of Tugboat Victim in Deep Grief

"It looks like my older brother broke the window in an attempt to escape..."

The bereaved family of a 57-year-old second mate, identified by the surname A, who was found dead in the wheelhouse of the tugboat TNS Catcher that capsized off the coast of Busan on September 2, struggled to find words while speaking with Yonhap News reporters on September 3.

"We heard that a diver deployed for the rescue entered through the broken wheelhouse window and found my brother," the bereaved family member said. "It seems my brother broke the window himself to get out."

They added, "It appears that right after the Coast Guard diver rescued my brother, the ship sank completely, making it impossible to conduct a more thorough search inside the hull."

According to the family, the late Mr. A was a veteran seafarer with 26 years of experience, including working on deep-sea fishing vessels.

Mr. A's younger brother shared, "He originally held a captain's license and had plenty of experience, but because he hadn't joined the company long ago, he boarded this time as a second mate."

He said, "He only cared about the son he had late in life, never looked anywhere else, and worked diligently on ships all his life. He was a man who knew only his family and the sea."

The family stated, "Mr. A was a reliable head of the household and a father who always prioritized safety."

Mr. A's wife recalled, "Whenever I worried about him going out to sea, he would reassure the family by saying, 'Even out at sea, you can always survive. It's much safer than an airplane.'"

Mr. A's younger brother also said, "He wasn't the type to overdo things and always put safety first. To reassure his family, he used to emphasize the safety of ships by saying, 'You couldn't even die on a ship on purpose if you tried.'"

The bereaved family also expressed regret regarding the timing of when the Coast Guard located Mr. A.

According to the major response actions disclosed by the Coast Guard to the bereaved and missing persons' families today, the report was received at 1:29 PM.

Later, at 1:48 PM, an Indonesian crew member—currently the sole survivor—was rescued by a nearby vessel.

At 2:14 PM, diving personnel from the Central Regional Coast Guard Special Rescue Team entered through the window of the capsized vessel's wheelhouse and rescued Mr. A.

This means it took about 45 minutes from receiving the report to entering the hull and rescuing Mr. A.

The bereaved family said, "We understand the accident site was not far from land and the waves weren't very high at the time, so we don't understand why it took so long. We want a proper explanation regarding this."

(Photo provided by Busan Coast Guard, Yonhap News)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.