A Japanese tour boat with more than two dozen people aboard, including two kids, went missing early Saturday in the waters off the northern island …
A Japanese tour boat with more than two dozen people aboard, including two kids, went missing early Saturday in the waters off the northern island of Hokkaido. The 19-ton Kazu 1 made an emergency distress call around 1:15 p.m local time, alerting authorities that the vessel was sinking and the ship’s bow had flooded. The boat was carrying 24 passengers and two crew members. Two of the passenger were children. The boat was last seen off the western side of the Shiretoko Peninsula. The waters off the peninsula are said to be just above freezing, and the region is known for drift ice. Yoshihiko Yamada, a Tokai University marine science professor, said boats like the Kazu 1 probably would not have carried a lifeboat. The ship was equipped with life jackets. The ship likely ran aground and sank, he told local TBS television, adding it was also possible the vessel was struck by a whale — which are native to the area.
