Cargo Ship With Dozens Of Crew, 6,000 Cattle Capsizes Off Japan Coast

A large cargo vessel from New Zealand capsized off the coast of Okinawa, a Japanese island in the East China Sea between Taiwan and Mainland Japan, according to a South China Morning Post report.

Gulf Livestock 1, a specialized cargo ship measuring 139 meters with 5,867 cattle on board, was headed for the Port of Jingtang in Tangshan, China, when it sent a “mayday” call Wednesday from west of Amami Oshima island in southwestern Japan.

Hours after the ship’s crew sent a distress call, the Japanese coastguard arrived on the scene and rescued one person out of the 43 who were on board. The survivor, Sareno Edvarodo, 45, the vessel’s chief officer, said the ship’s engine had failed just as a rogue wave struck the side of the vessel in just the right way. As the boat began to capsize, all crew were instructed to put on life jackets and prepare life-threatening conditions like strong winds and heavy rain from Typhoon Maysak. 

Edvarodo said he jumped from the vessel but did not see any of his colleagues before the coast guard rescued him. 

Maysak caused devastation in South Korea this week, with winds reaching upwards of 90 mph. North Korea reported Thursday widespread flooding in the eastern region of the county. There was only minor damage across Okinawa on Tuesday; it’s the second typhoon to hit the Korean Peninsula in the span of the last few weeks.

US Tropics 

Fortunately, the storm doesn’t pose a threat to the US mainland, unlike a record-breaking new storm forming in the Atlantic.