Five crew members were rescued on Friday after falling overboard from a cargo ship sailing off the southern coast of Seogwipo on South Korea’s Jeju Island, according to the Korean Coast Guard.

Authorities said the Seogwipo Coast Guard received an emergency report at around 4:47 p.m. local time stating that five crew members had ended up in the sea from an 8,580-ton cargo vessel. The ship was sailing approximately 33 kilometres southwest of Seogwipo Port at the time of the incident.

Following the report, the Coast Guard launched an immediate rescue operation, deploying five patrol vessels, two inshore rescue boats and a helicopter to the location.

Assistance was also requested from nearby vessels. A South Korean Navy ship and a vessel operated by the South Sea Fisheries Management Service, under the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries, joined the operation.

Rescue teams reached the scene by around 5:30 p.m. and found all five crew members together in a life raft. The Coast Guard recovered them using a helicopter and transported them to nearby hospitals for medical checks. Officials reported that all five, who are foreign nationals, were in stable condition.

At the time of the incident, sea conditions were reported to be rough, with northeast winds blowing at speeds of about 10 to 14 metres per second and waves reaching around two metres.

The cargo ship involved was reported to be registered in Sierra Leone. While some information indicated that 10 people were on board at the time of the accident, other reports said the vessel had a total crew of 15. The ship itself was not reported to be in distress.

The Korean Coast Guard said it is investigating the circumstances of the incident to determine how five crew members from the same vessel ended up in the water.

References: koreatimes, koreajoongangdaily