One of the six crew members reported missing following the capsizing of the tugboat TNS Catcher off the waters of Busan on the 2nd was found dead today (the 9th).

This marks seven days since the accident occurred.

At around 8:48 a.m. today, a South Korean crew member in his 50s, identified as A, from the TNS Catcher was found dead on a beach near Dogu Beach in Nam-gu, Pohang, North Gyeongsang Province.

It is reported that a sanitation worker discovered the body and reported it.

Following identity verification processes conducted by the Coast Guard, including smartphone digital forensics and fingerprint comparison, the body was confirmed to be crew member A of the TNS Catcher.

The TNS Catcher capsized on the 2nd while towing the disabled container ship M, which had suffered an engine failure, in waters about 9 kilometers east of Oryukdo Island in Busan.

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

Among them, one Indonesian crew member was rescued, while one South Korean was found unconscious and later died.

The remaining six individuals were missing, prompting ongoing search operations.

The rescued Indonesian crew member stated that he saw another crew member jump out of the TNS Catcher at the time of the accident, and the Coast Guard believes this person was A.

The location where A was found is more than 100 kilometers away from the site of the accident.

It appears that the body drifted there due to ocean currents.

Upon analyzing CCTV footage from the container ship M, the Coast Guard determined that two of the six missing crew members from the TNS Catcher escaped from the interior and fell into the sea immediately after the vessel capsized.

The Coast Guard has been conducting search operations in the accident area for the eighth day, but is facing difficulties due to worsening weather conditions, including high waves and strong winds.

(Photo: Yonhap News)