Japan Arrests Cargo Ship Captain After Fatal Collision

The captain of a small cargo ship was detained and arrested after his vessel collided with a yacht off the southeastern coast of Japan’s Kyushu island on August 13. The report of the collision caused a large-scale SAR operation, which has now been canceled with reports of one fatality.

The Japan Coast Guard station in Oita received notification from the captain of a cargo ship transporting gravel that the vessel had collided with a yacht around 8:15 am local time. The collision occurred in the area of Tsukumi Bay, approximately a mile offshore.

The captain of the cargo ship reported to the Coast Guard that the yacht had disappeared and likely sank. He said that they believed there were several people aboard the boat.

 

 

The Coast Guard responded with six patrol boats and one airplane in a search and rescue operation. Around 10 a.m., the body of a 70-year-old man was recovered. He was reported to be in cardiac arrest and pronounced deceased at a hospital. After identifying the deceased person as Dr. Makoto Yamamoto, age 70, they were able to interview witnesses and determined that he was alone on the boat.

The Oita Coast Guard reports that there was poor visibility at the time of the collision. However, it said Captain Yuki Mochizuki, age 28, was suspected of failing to take proper precautions. They do not believe the vessel, the Sadamaru No. 38, had slowed or stopped. The vessel is 492 tons and 65 meters (213 feet) in length. Images from Japanese TV show the vessel detained during the investigation.