The Japanese Coast Guard announced that the second survivor that was found in the aftermath of the capsizing of a cattle ship heading to China from New Zealand amid a typhoon died in the hospital.
According to the coast guard, the 30-year-old Filipino was rescued from the waters of the East China Sea on Friday while he was unconscious. The man was pulled from the water after he was found unresponsive and was floating face down on the water at about 75 miles north-northwest of the island of Amami Oshima. He was immediately brought to the hospital upon rescue, BBC reported.
In the same area where he was found, the life jacket and remains of a dead cattle were also collected bu the coast guard. The search for the remaining crew of the vessel continues until the present.
One aircraft, two divers, and three vessels have been deployed to take part in the search and rescue operations for the missing crew members of Gulf Livestock 1. The ship that carried livestock, mostly cattle, capsized on Wednesday after it sent a distress signal as the strong winds and huge waves brought by Typhoon Mayssk lashed at their vessel.
After the incident, a statement was released by Gulf Navigation, which is based in the United Arab Emirates. Gulf Navigation claimed ownership of the Panamanian-flagged cattleship.
According to the company's spokesperson, they are closely monitoring the search and rescue as well as the investigation on what happened to the ship. Moreover, they added that they are working closely with those in charge of the rescue operations onsite.
The ship carried around 6,000 cattle during its journey from New Zealand. Upon reaching the waters in southwestern Japan, the winds brought by the typhoon became too much for the vessel to handle.
On Wednesday, the ship's Chief Officer, Sareno Edvarodo, a Filipino seafarer was rescued after he was found floating in the dark waters. The chief was immediately brought aboard the coastguard's rescue ship and was wrapped in blankets to help with the cold.
Footage from the ship after the rescue was released by the coastguard revealed the 45-year-old seafarer, sipping water and immediately looking for his other colleagues. He asked his rescuers if he was the only one that was fished out of the water.
The ship's crew was comprised of 43 people, 39 of which are Filipinos, two were from Australia, and two from New Zealand.
According to Aljazeera, Edvarodo narrated that one of the engines of the ship died before it was overturned by a huge wave. He also stated that he was able to grab a lifejacket, put it on, and dive into the sea before the ship totally capsized.
At present, Japan is currently amid its annual typhoon season, and an enormous storm is expected to hit the area where the incident happened by Sunday. The said storm may cause delay and limit the capabilities for the search for the other missing seafarers.
Meanwhile, the Ministry of Primary Industries of (MPI) of New Zealand has announced that it will temporarily halt the export of live cattle following the accident.
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