A Panamanian-flagged livestock carrier with 43 crewmembers onboard is said to have been lost southwest of Japan after sailing into a typhoon moving across the region.
Specifically, it is reported that Japan’s Coast Guard received a distress call. Later on, the coast guard found a seafarer in the ocean with a life jacket and an empty lifeboat. No additional signals were received from the vessel after the first distress call.
The coast guard conducted search and rescue operations to find the vessel believed to be the Gulf Livestock 1 on September 2. In addition, four coast guard vessels and airplanes are reportedly conducting the search-and-rescue operation. Yet, it is noted that the operation was suspended until daylight Thursday local time.
The Japan Defense Ministry informed that they had located one person apparently in the ocean in the area of the last known position of the vessel.
Local media report that according to the Coast Guard the man found was a male Filipino crew member and that was in non-life-threatening condition. In addition, an empty inflatable life raft was reportedly spotted but it is unclear if it was from the Gulf Livestock 1.
The vessel’s latest known position was in the East China Sea and its position places it in proximity to Typhoon Maysak.
Concluding, the Gulf Livestock 1 had departed Napier, New Zealand on August 14 bound for Tangshan, China. She was reported to be sailing at a speed of 8 knots due to arrive in China on September 4.
