TOKYO, April 24 – Seven people from the Japanese tour boat that went missing with 26 people on board have been found after three others were found on Sunday, the Japan Coast Guard said, although it was unclear if they were still alive .
A Coast Guard official told Reuters the condition of the three people was unclear, but public broadcaster NHK reported they were unconscious.
The other four, who were found Sunday morning, were unconscious and have already been taken to the hospital, the Coast Guard official said.
Of the four people, three were spotted by a police helicopter near the tip of Shiretoko Peninsula, the Coast Guard said, and the fourth was spotted about 30 minutes later by a Coast Guard plane in the same area.
Authorities used planes and patrol boats, including seven Coast Guard vessels, three planes and four helicopters, to search for the passengers and crew of the “Kazu I” after she ran into trouble off the peninsula famous for its wildlife and dramatic coastline. Continue reading
The Coast Guard first heard from the boat’s crew on Saturday afternoon that water was pouring into the ship. It was last heard about two hours later, when it contacted its operating company to say it was keeled at a 30-degree angle, Kyodo News previously reported.
The crew said those on board were wearing life jackets, media said.
There were 24 passengers and two crew members on board. Two of the passengers were children.
Reporting by David Dolan, Kiyoshi Takenaka; Edited by Leslie Adler and Jacqueline Wong