Survivor of capsized Busan tugboat: 'I was cooking and had to escape fast — my body is OK but I'm shaking'

Indonesian crew member fled galley moments before vessel overturned, climbed to stern hull before rescue

Families of missing sailors gather anxiously, waiting for updates

A rescued Indonesian crew member arrives Wednesday afternoon at the Busan Coast Guard's dedicated pier in Yeongdo-gu aboard a coast guard rescue vessel. The sailor was rescued by a nearby ship after climbing onto the stern of the capsized vessel. Eight crew members were aboard the tugboat when it overturned off Oryukdo, leaving one dead and one rescued. Coast guard teams are searching for the six missing. [Yonhap]

The Indonesian crew member rescued from a tugboat that capsized off Busan on Wednesday said he narrowly escaped from the ship's galley while cooking when the vessel suddenly began to go over.

Speaking to reporters after arriving at the Busan Coast Guard's dedicated pier Wednesday afternoon, the sailor, identified only by the initial A, said, "I'm a cook, so I was cooking — I rushed out of the galley and escaped."

A is believed to have stayed on top of the hull near the stern after the tugboat capsized.

A merchant vessel being towed in the area spotted him and lowered a ladder, which he used to climb aboard and reach safety.

Asked about his condition, A said, "My body is OK, but I'm shaking."

His hands were visibly trembling in the moments after he arrived at the coast guard pier.

A also spoke about a colleague who had escaped with him.

"When I escaped, only the second engineer followed me," he said. "I was on top of the boat, but the second engineer fell into the sea."

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

The vessel was carrying eight people — six South Koreans and two Indonesians.

Coast guard personnel conduct search and rescue operations Wednesday afternoon after a tugboat capsized off Busan, killing one and leaving six crew members missing. The vessel overturned while towing a cargo ship near Oryukdo. One crew member has been rescued. [Provided by Busan Coast Guard] [Yonhap]

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

Coast guard teams are conducting search operations to locate the remaining six crew members.

The tugboat departed Busan Port's government vessel pier at around 10:15 a.m. Wednesday and was heading to tow a 66,332-ton Liberian-flagged container ship in the accident area.

Families of the crew gathered at the vessel's crew management company after hearing the news, where a company representative briefed them on rescue and search efforts.

The company has kept its doors firmly shut, turning away outsiders.

"I have to stay calm. They'll be rescued," one family member said.

Dong-gu in Busan is also preparing a separate waiting room for the families and plans to move them there.

mokiya@heraldcorp.com