TOKYO: A boat mysteriously disappeared during sightseeing in frigid waters in Japan with 26 passengers on board. Sixteen people and the remains of the boat are still missing, while ten people were found dead. The coast guard confirmed the number of deaths in the incident, including three women and seven men.
The horrific accident occurred on Saturday morning when 26 people went for a trip to Hokkaido’s northeastern tip. Despite high winds and distress tides, the boat went ahead of the set limit. A local tour boat operator said he warned the captain not to proceed, but he did not listen.
A distress signal was sent by the sightseeing boat, Kazu-I, at 1:15 pm. A rescue operation immediately began, but the cold temperature made it difficult to find the missing tourists.
Despite the best efforts from coast guards, the search operation failed as the temperature fell nearly to zero degrees in the night, and no traces of the boat were found. The Self Defence Forces of Japan and Local police have joined the operation. All dead bodies have been sent to the local hospital.