Busan Coast Guard Raids 5 Locations Including Shipping Company Over Tugboat Accident That Left 5 Crew Missing

Raids were conducted on the working spaces of atleast 6 companies, including a shipping firm, to seize documents and find important information relating to the capsizing of the tugboat TNS Catcher, whose 6 crew members remain missing, reported the Busan Coast Guard.

TNS Catcher had an 8-member crew, of which one was able to climb to the tug’s top when it began to sink. The container ship crew used a ladder to rescue the helpless cook. Another crew member was found unconscious close to the tug and was declared dead when he was taken to the hospital.

The search remains ongoing, after being suspended for a few days due to bad weather conditions. Both the Navy and the Coast Guard are looking for the seafarers, covering a wider area.

On September 8, 2026, the Coast Guard deployed 15 ships and 7 aircraft to search an area of 19 miles, along with 48 personnel from the Busan and Ulsan Coast Guards, to use Thermal observation equipment to be able to locate the missing crew even in the dark.

The Coast Guard, which sent 41 investigation experts to the team, has not revealed what they were searching for or how the companies are related to the case.

The tugboat was one of the three which helped to manoeuvre the container vessel MSC Ikaria VI.

The Coast Guard also retrieved the video footage of the incident, which shows the tugboat was pulling the container ship from its starboard side, after which it turned and lost stability.

The angle of the turn, the speed of the tug and the position of the tugboat in relation to the container ship will be taken into consideration to understand what caused it to roll over and sink.

The TNS Catcher was afloat for many hours before it finally sank and drifted a few miles before finally going down.

The Navy idenified identified it at a water depth of 285 feet or 87 metres. The tug was constructed in 2007 and measured 34 m lengthwise with a gross tonnage of 444.

Investigators decided that they would deploy remotely operated vehicles to thoroughly search the wreck once visibility improves.

The Liberian-registered container vessel with a 5576 TEU capacity has been ordered to remain at the Busan Port until further notice to aid in the investigation.