A commercial Taiwanese fishing boat that last week went missing in the middle of the Pacific Ocean has been located, but there were no signs of the crew, the Suao Fishermen’s Association said on Monday.
The National Rescue Command Center was informed of the missing vessel — the Suao-registered Yong Yu Sing No. 18 — after its owner reported on Friday last week that he lost contact with the captain on Wednesday last week, association head Tsai Yuan-lung (蔡源龍) said.
The center sought assistance from US authorities and a US fixed-wing search-and-rescue aircraft found the missing boat about 606 nautical miles (1,122km) northeast of Midway Atoll on Saturday last week, Tsai said.
Photo: CNA
Observers on the plane noticed that the windows of the captain’s cabin had been smashed, raising the possibility that the cause might have also damaged the vessel’s communications equipment, he added.
The vessel appeared to be drifting, suggesting that it had lost power, he said, adding that the Taiwanese captain and his nine Indonesian crew members were missing.
When the owner lost contact with the Yong Yu Sing, it was reported to be about 527 nautical miles northeast of Midway Atoll.
No distress calls were received, the association said.
Taiwanese vessel the Chin Ching Fu No. 66 is about 80 nautical miles from the Yong Yu Sing, but prevailing storm-like conditions have prevented it from approaching, said people familiar with the local industry, who spoke on condition of anonymity, adding that the vessel would check on the crew as soon as the weather allows.
The Fisheries Agency said that four other Taiwanese vessels are in the area and willing to give assistance when sea conditions improve.
The Yong Yu Sing is listed as a 99-tonne tuna longliner on the Web site of the Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Commission, of which Taiwan is a member.
Additional reporting by Chien Hui-ju and Chiang Chih-hsiung
Yangmingshan National Park authorities yesterday urged visitors to respect public spaces and obey the law after a couple was caught on a camera livestream having sex at the park’s Qingtiangang (擎天崗) earlier in the day. The Shilin Police Precinct in Taipei said it has identified a suspect and his vehicle registration number, and would summon him for questioning. The case would be handled in accordance with public indecency charges, it added. The couple entered the park at about 11pm on Thursday and began fooling around by 1am yesterday, the police said, adding that the two were unaware of the park’s all-day live
Yangmingshan National Park’s Qingtiangang (擎天崗) nature area has gone viral after a park livestream camera observed a couple in the throes of intimate congress, which was broadcast live on YouTube, drawing large late-night crowds and sparking a backlash over noise, bright lights and disruption to wildlife habitat. The area’s livestream footage appeared to show a couple engaging in sexual activity on a picnic table in the park on Friday last week, with the uncensored footage streamed publicly online. The footage quickly spread across social media, prompting a tide of visitors to travel to the site to “check in” and recreate the
A former soldier and an active-duty army officer were yesterday indicted for allegedly selling classified military training materials to a Chinese intelligence operative for a total of NT$79,440. The Taipei District Prosecutors’ Office indicted Chen Tai-yin (陳泰尹) and Lee Chun-ta (李俊達) for contravening the National Security Act (國家安全法) and the Anti-Corruption Act (貪污治罪條例). Chen left the military in September 2013 after serving alongside then-staff sergeant Lee, now an army lieutenant, at the 21st Artillery Command of the army’s Sixth Corps from 2011 to 2013, according to the indictment. Chen met a Chinese intelligence operative identified as “Wang” (王) through a friend in November
Minister of Digital Affairs Lin Yi-ching (林宜敬) yesterday cited regulatory issues and national security concerns as an expert said that Taiwan is among the few Asian regions without Starlink. Lin made the remarks on Facebook after funP Innovation Group chief executive officer Nathan Chiu (邱繼弘) on Friday said Taiwan and four other countries in Asia — China, North Korea, Afghanistan and Syria — have no access to Starlink. Starlink has become available in 166 countries worldwide, including Ukraine, Malaysia, the Philippines and Vietnam, in the six years since it became commercial, he said. While China and North Korea block Starlink, Syria is not
RSS