Typhoon Maysak: cargo ship with dozens of crew and almost 6,000 cattle feared capsized near Japan

Japan’s coastguard rescued one person, a Filipino crew member, who said the ship’s engine failed before it was hit by a wave and capsized

With winds blowing up to 126km/h, Typhoon Maysak was offshore east of the city of Sokcho on Thursday morning and heading towards North Korea

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The Gulf Livestock 1 sent a distress call from the west of Amami Oshima island in southwestern Japan. Photo: MarineTraffic.com

Published: 11:39am, 3 Sep 2020Updated: 8:13pm, 4 Sep 2020

Japan’s coastguard rescued one person in the search for a cargo ship carrying nearly 6,000 cattle and dozens of crew members that is believed to have sunk in the East China Sea as Typhoon Maysak lashed the region.

The Gulf Livestock 1 sent a distress call from the west of Amami Oshima island in southwestern Japan. Strong winds and rains from Typhoon Maysak were hampering rescue efforts as the storm moved on to drench the Korean peninsula.

Japan’s coastguard said it rescued one crew member, Sareno Edvarodo, a 45-year-old chief officer from the Philippines, on Wednesday night Tokyo time while searching for the ship.

A Filipino crew member believed to have been onboard Gulf Livestock 1. Photo: Reuters

According to Edvarodo, the ship lost an engine before it was hit by a wave and capsized, a coastguard spokeswoman said.

When the ship capsized, crew were instructed to put on life jackets. Edvarodo said he jumped into the water and did not see any other crew members before he was rescued.