Indonesian Crew Member Rescued from Capsized Busan Tugboat: "Ran Out While Cooking, Still Shaking"

An Indonesian crew member who was rescued from a tugboat that capsized off the coast of Busan yesterday (the 2nd) shared the harrowing details, explaining that he rushed out of the galley while cooking to escape the sinking vessel.

Speaking to reporters after arriving at the Busan Coast Guard pier that afternoon, the Indonesian crew member, identified as A, said, "I am a cook, so I was cooking when I quickly got out of the galley and escaped."

According to authorities, A was found staying on top of the hull near the stern after the vessel capsized.

Crew members aboard a merchant ship—the vessel being towed—spotted A near the accident site and lowered a ladder, allowing him to climb aboard and be rescued.

When asked about his physical condition, A said, "I am physically fine, but I am shaking."

True to his words, A's hands continued to shake visibly right after arriving at the Coast Guard pier.

A also mentioned a colleague who had escaped with him.

"When we were escaping, only the second engineer followed me," A said. "I stayed on the hull, but the second engineer fell straight into the water."

According to the Busan Coast Guard, a 286-ton tugboat capsized at around 1:29 p.m. yesterday in waters about 9 kilometers southeast of Oryukdo Island in Busan.

A total of eight people were on board the vessel, consisting of six South Koreans and two Indonesians.

Aside from A, one South Korean crew member was found unconscious near the capsized hull by the Coast Guard's Central Regional Maritime Special Rescue Team and was transported to a hospital.

The Coast Guard is currently conducting search operations to locate the remaining six crew members.

The tugboat departed from the Busan Port official vessel pier at 10:15 a.m. that morning and was moving to tow a 66,332-ton Liberian-flagged container ship located near the accident site.

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