The South Korean coast guard rescued all 11 crew of a fishing boat that ran onto a reef on 28 October 2026. Nobody was hurt. The boat hit the reef at about 07:13 local time, 1.8 km south of Majindo island in Sinan County, in the south-west of the country.
The boat is a 24-tonne coastal gillnet boat. A gillnet is a fishing net that hangs in the water like a wall. The coast guard did not give the boat's name. It was on its way to fish near Gageodo island, Korean media report.
What happened
The coast guard station in Mokpo got the alarm and sent patrol ships, a coastal rescue boat and its special rescue team. It also asked ships nearby to help.
When the rescuers arrived, the boat was leaning about 45 degrees to the right (starboard) side. All 11 crew were wearing lifejackets and waiting for help. The coast guard says none of them had health problems.
Coast guard officers went on board and checked the hull. They found no holes. They closed the fuel valves and the air vents, so that no fuel could leak into the sea.
At about 09:00, the tide came in. The boat then came off the reef by itself, with no more damage.
What the coast guard found
The coast guard tested the captain for alcohol. The test showed he had not been drinking.
According to the coast guard's first findings, the captain was talking on the phone. Because of this, he did not see the reef. The coast guard is still questioning the captain and crew to find the exact cause.
What it means for crews
Wear your lifejacket when the boat is in danger. In this case, all 11 crew had their lifejackets on before help arrived.
Keep your full attention on the watch. Do not make phone calls while you navigate, especially near islands and reefs. Ask another person to take the call or take the watch.
Check the chart and your position often in shallow water. Use the radar and the echo sounder, which measures the water depth.
After a grounding, check the hull for holes and water inside. Close fuel valves and air vents if there is a risk of leaks.
Do not try to force the ship off a reef before you know the damage. Here, the boat waited for the high tide and came off safely.
In South Korea, call 119 for an emergency at sea. Since 2016, this one number also reaches the coast guard. The old sea emergency number was 122.
Cover photo: Korea Coast Guard patrol ship 1005 of the Tongyeong station in port, January 2018. Illustrative photo, not a ship from this rescue. Photo: 95016maphack/Wikimedia Commons, CC0.
Sources: Yonhap News, 28 Oct 2026: 24-tonne fishing boat runs aground off Sinan, all 11 crew rescued (in Korean), Newspim, 28 Oct 2026: Fishing boat with 11 on board runs aground off Majindo, all rescued (in Korean), Seoul Shinmun, 28 Oct 2026: Fishing boat with 11 on board runs aground off Majindo, coast guard rescues all (in Korean), Korea.kr (Korean government), 11 Oct 2022: Remember the emergency numbers 119, 112 and 110; sea accidents now go to 119 (in Korean).
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