Fishing Vessel Sinks Near Hokkaido: Small Boat Capsizes in Rough Seas, Crew Member Rescued, Treated for Hypothermia

Hokkaido, Japan— One crew member was rescued with hypothermia after a small fishing vessel capsized off the coast of Hokkaido on October 22, 2026.

The boat, a 4.9-ton squid fishing vessel with two crew on board, left a port near Otaru at 4 a.m. for a routine morning haul. Sea conditions were rough, with two-meter swells and 15-knot winds. At 6:20 a.m., the vessel radioed that it was taking water and listing heavily, then contact was lost.

Another fishing boat in the area spotted the hull overturned about 8 kilometers offshore and alerted the Japan Coast Guard. A patrol boat and helicopter were dispatched. They found one man clinging to the upturned hull, conscious but shivering violently, wearing a life jacket. He had been in 14-degree water for nearly an hour.

“He was holding the keel with both hands. If his life jacket had not been on, we would not have found him,” said a Coast Guard rescue swimmer who pulled him from the sea. The man, 58, was airlifted to Otaru City Hospital with moderate hypothermia and cuts. Doctors said he is stable and expected to recover.

The vessel’s second crew member, the captain, 62, is still missing. Divers searched around the capsized hull but visibility was poor. The hull has been secured with a tow line to prevent sinking and will be brought to port for inspection. The search was suspended at nightfall due to worsening weather.

Preliminary information suggests the vessel may have been struck by a sudden high wave that flooded the deck and shifted catch to one side, causing loss of stability. The boat’s automatic identification system showed a sharp turn just before capsizing. No distress flare was seen.

The Otaru fisheries cooperative said both crew were experienced and the boat had passed safety inspection in June. “This sea is dangerous in autumn. The waves come fast,” said a cooperative official.

The Coast Guard has opened a marine accident investigation. Weather in the area remains rough. The search for the missing captain will resume at first light.