Lone survivor plucked from ocean as 40 more feared dead on missing livestock carrier

Japan’s coastguard has rescued one person as it searched for a vessel with nearly 6,000 livestock and 43 crew members on board. The ship went missing in the East China Sea as Typhoon Maysak wreaked havoc.

The ship sent a distress call from the west of Amami Oshima island in south western Japan as strong winds and rains from typhoon Maysak lashed the region.

Splash247 reports that aerial searches and four coastguard vessels have not been able to locate the ship and all communication has been lost.

The MaritimeTraffic tracking service says the ship could have been hit by high waves and strong winds up to 130km/h as a result of Typhoon Maysak barrelling through the region. 

The Gulf Livestock 1 left Napier on New Zealand’s north island on August 14 with 5,867 cattle, heading for the Port of Jingtang in Tangshan, China. The trip was supposed to last for around 17 days, New Zealand’s Foreign Ministry told Reuters news agency.

The crew consisted of 39 citizens from the Philippines, two from New Zealand, and two from Australia, Japan’s coastguard confirmed.

The Filipino crew member was rescued late on Wednesday after Japanese navy P-3C surveillance aircraft spotted him wearing a life vest and waving while bobbing in the water, according to The Guardian.

The man, who was in good health, told rescuers the ship capsized before sinking, says spokesman Yuichiro Higashi at the Japanese coast guard’s regional headquarters conducting the search.

Japanese public broadcaster NHK reported the coastguard had spotted an object that looked like a lifeboat while searching for the ship. But strong winds and rains from Maysak were hampering search and rescue efforts. 

The Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) said it was in touch with the families of the two Australians on board.

“The Australian government is providing consular assistance to the families of two Australian crew members on board a cargo vessel reported missing in Japanese waters,” DFAT said.

In late July, the Philippine Navy rendered assistance to the Gulf Livestock 1 after it lost propulsion off Balut Island in Southern Philippines. Repairs were eventually completed without incident, according to GCaptain.

The Japan Meteorological Agency had warned Typhoon Maysak could bring with it storm surges, heavy rains, high waves and violent winds, potentially causing a “major disaster” in the Okinawa region, according to Stuff. It said winds could reach a maximum speed of 252kmh.

SAFE campaigns manager Marianne Macdonald says the incident demonstrates the risks in the live export trade.

“These cows should never have been at sea. This is a real crisis, and our thoughts are with the families of the 43 crew who are missing with the ship. But questions remain, including why this trade is allowed to continue?”

In June last year, the New Zealand government began a review into live export trade, after hundreds of cattle being exported from New Zealand and Australia died, according to Stuff.

A Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) spokeswoman says that before departing Napier the ship was inspected by a port veterinarian to check the animals’ welfare and for disease.

No MPI staff were on board the ship when it went missing but between three and four “experienced stockman” would have travelled with the cattle, the spokeswoman says.