Japanese tour boat missing

The boat, which carried two children and two crew members among the 26 onboard, issued a distress call at around 1:15 p.m. Saturday.

Waves in the area were up to 9.8 feet high. According to Reuters, nine of the dead were still in the water or at the surrounding rocks. In June, the boat also ran aground in shallow water, though no injuries were reported; the operating company was advised to enhance its safety measures.

Inquiries began into what caused the disappearance of a Japanese tour boat off the nation's northern coast, while the coast guard confirmed on Monday the ...

It added that the boat had collided with a floating object in May last year, injuring three people, and ran aground in shallow water shortly after leaving port in June. The boat operator had called to report it was taking on water and listing at a 30-degree angle, media said, shortly before contact was lost. The boat went missing on Saturday several hours after departing for a tour of the Shiretoko Peninsula, famous for its rugged coastal scenery and wildlife.

Fifteen remain missing as questions grow as to why the Kazu I sailed in rough weather off the hazardous Shiretoko peninsula.

The coast guard said the operator told them that everyone on the boat was wearing a life vest but some of the victims found were without them. He also said the same boat ran aground last year and suffered a crack on its bow. Some were plucked from the sea, and others were found where they had washed on to the rocky coast. The June accident involved the same captain of the sunken boat. The ministry said it was looking into safety standards and the decision to conduct the tour despite rough weather on Saturday. Average April sea temperatures in the area are just above freezing.

Six patrol boats and four aircraft searched for survivors after the 19-tonne Kazu 1 made an emergency distress call on Saturday afternoon, reporting the bow ...

Sunday's rescue came after nearly 19 hours of intense search involving six patrol boats, several aircraft and divers. The crew said those on board were wearing life jackets and the boat was keeling at a 30-degree angle. The boat carrying 24 passengers, including two children, and two crew members had gone missing after sending a distress call on Saturday, saying it took on water and was beginning to sink.

Inquiries began into what caused the disappearance of a Japanese tour boat off the nation's northern coast, while the coast guard confirmed on Monday the ...

It added that the boat had collided with a floating object in May last year, injuring three people, and ran aground in shallow water shortly after leaving port in June. The boat operator had called to report it was taking on water and listing at a 30-degree angle, media said, shortly before contact was lost. The boat went missing on Saturday several hours after departing for a tour of the Shiretoko Peninsula, famous for its rugged coastal scenery and wildlife.

Rescuers said that 10 people who were retrieved Sunday from the frigid sea and the rocky coast of a northern Japanese national park had died, a day after a ...

He also said the same boat ran aground last year and suffered a crack on its bow. The coast guard said the operator told them that everyone on the boat was wearing a life vest, but some of the victims found were without them. The national park is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage site and is famous as the southernmost region to see drifting sea ice. Yoshihiko Yamada, a Tokai University marine science professor, said the boat was likely to have run aground after it was tossed around in high waves and damaged. The sightseeing vessel made an emergency call early Saturday afternoon, saying its bow had flooded and that it was beginning to sink and tilt, the coast guard said. The location, near the Kashuni Waterfall, is known as a difficult place to maneuver boats because of its rocky coastline and strong tide.

Six patrol boats and four aircraft searched for survivors after the 19-tonne Kazu 1 made an emergency distress call on Saturday afternoon, reporting the bow ...

Sunday's rescue came after nearly 19 hours of intense search involving six patrol boats, several aircraft and divers. The crew said those on board were wearing life jackets and the boat was keeling at a 30-degree angle. The boat carrying 24 passengers, including two children, and two crew members had gone missing after sending a distress call on Saturday, saying it took on water and was beginning to sink.

There were two crew and 24 passengers, including two children, on the tour boat when it ran into troubles on Saturday. | ITV National News.

The tour boat then lost contact. The ministry will also investigate if or how Saturday's accident was related to two previous accidents involving the same boat last year, Japan's transport minister said. In May, the boat collided with an object at sea, causing minor injuries to three passengers.

Ten people found by rescue workers on Sunday after a tour boat went missing in frigid waters off Japan's northernmost island have been confirmed dead, ...

It was last heard from around an hour later when it contacted its operating company to say it was keeling at a 30-degree angle, Kyodo news reported. Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com

A fishing boat leaves from Utoro port for searching for the missing tour boat Kazu 1 in Shari, Hokkaido Prefecture, Japan, in this photo taken by Kyodo on April ...

Yoshihiko Yamada, a Tokai University marine science professor, said the boat was likely to have run aground after it was tossed around in high waves and damaged, flooded and probably sank. The coast guard said the operator told them that everyone on the boat was wearing a life vest. The national park is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage site and is famous as the southernmost region to see drifting sea ice. He said the same boat went aground last year and suffered a crack on its bow. The tour boat has since lost contact, according to the coast guard. In May, the boat collided with an object at sea, causing minor injuries to three passengers.

All ten people found so far from a Japanese tour boat missing off the country's northern coast have been confirmed dead, with 16 others still missing, ...

The Shiretoko Peninsula was designated a UNESCO world heritage site in 2005. The boat was able to leave the shallows on its own and returned to the port, but police investigated its captain for endangering traffic by negligence in the conduct of business. The coastguard sent seven vessels and five aircraft for the search and rescue mission, joined by police and military helicopters as well as other local fishing boats.