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First Missing Crew Member Found Dead 7 Days After Tugboat Capsizing Off Busan

Park Jae-yeon

Published : Sep 10, 2026 12:48 AM

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The body of one of the six crew members reported missing in a tugboat capsizing accident off the coast of Busan on the 2nd has been found 7 days after the incident.

The body was discovered at around 8:50 a.m. yesterday (the 9th) on a beach in Pohang, North Gyeongsang Province.

The Korea Coast Guard stated that, following smartphone digital forensics and fingerprint comparison, the body was confirmed to be a man in his 50s, surnamed A, who was a crew member of the missing vessel TNS Catcher.

The TNS Catcher capsized while carrying out towing operations about 9 kilometers east of Oryukdo on the 2nd.

Among the eight crew members on board, one was rescued, another was found unconscious and later died, and the remaining six went missing, prompting the Coast Guard to conduct search operations.

With the recovery of crew member A, five crew members remain missing.