2 dead, 1 missing after fishing boat overturns in Hokkaido, Japan

TOMAKOMAI, Hokkaido -- Two people are dead and one is missing after a fishing boat overturned in waters around 10 kilometers southeast of Shiraoi port.

When the fishing boat Miho VII overturned, captain Yukio Sawada, 63, and four passengers were thrown overboard. A nearby fishing boat rescued the captain and three passengers, but two died and one remains missing.

According to the Tomakomai coast guard office, the four passengers were all from Noboribetsu. The two who died are Kazuhiko Nakahara and Tomio Monta, both 64, and the missing person is Hisao Kikuchi, 65. Sawada and passenger Hirofumi Watanabe, 67, were showing hypothermia symptoms but were not in serious condition.

Sources from the office said that the boat left Noboribetsu port at around 5 a.m. on March 25. At around 10 a.m., the boat started to head back because the waters had roughened, and at around 10:30 it overturned. Read More