A 286-ton tugboat capsized off Busan, South Korea, on Wednesday, September 2, leaving one crew member dead, six missing, and one rescued. The vessel was carrying eight crew members, consisting of six South Koreans and two Indonesians.

The tugboat, identified as TNS Catcher, reportedly capsized at around 1:29 p.m. while near a merchant vessel it had been assigned to assist. A 53-year-old Indonesian crew member managed to escape and was rescued with the help of the nearby vessel.

A 57-year-old South Korean crew member was later recovered unconscious and transported to a hospital, where he was pronounced dead. The tugboat remained partially afloat for about two hours before sinking in approximately 87 meters of water.

South Korean authorities deployed Coast Guard vessels, aircraft, rescue teams, and Navy assets to search for the six missing crew members. Search operations were affected by waves reaching about 1.5 meters and challenging sea conditions. Authorities are also investigating the circumstances that caused the tugboat to capsize.