Yong Yu Sing No. 18

Yong Yu Sing No. 18 (Chinese: 永裕興18號) was a Taiwanese fishing vessel found adrift and unoccupied near Midway Island after losing contact with shore. Taiwanese authorities concluded the crew was lost due to a weather event.

The vessel after being discovered adrift
History
NameYong Yu Sing No. 18
Port of registryKaohsiung, Taiwan
Launched2001
General characteristics
TypeTuna longliner
Length29.6 m (97 ft 1 in)
Notes[1]

Vessel

The Yong Yu Sing No. 18 is a fishing vessel used for longline tuna fishing. Built in 2001, it is 29.6 metres (97 ft 1 in) long and carries a crew of 15, and is equipped with at least one freezer. Its IMO number is 8546579.[1]

Discovery

The vessel was spotted floating near Midway Island on January 2, 2021.[2] Upon further inspection by the United States Coast Guard, a lifeboat was missing, as were all ten crew. The ship was also damaged in what looked to be a collision. The boat was left adrift in the Pacific Ocean, and the U.S. Coast Guard continued to search for the missing crew. Of the ten on board when it went missing, nine were of Indonesian nationality, and the captain was Taiwanese.[2][3][4][5]

Investigation

The incident was investigated by Taiwan Yilan District Prosecutors Office. They found there were "no signs of physical altercations, blood, or explosions" but there were "multiple structural damages found on the hull .. indicat[ing] the boat underwent strong wind waves from multiple directions". The case was closed with the conclusion of "no criminal conducts involved".[6] Liberty Times reported that the most likely cause was that large waves have caused the crew to fall into the sea, and that murder or piracy is not likely. [7]

References
  1. "YONG YU SING NO.18 | WCPFC". www.wcpfc.int. Retrieved 12 November 2021.
  2. "Fishing vessel adrift deep in the Pacific, 10 crew missing". Fleetmon. 5 January 2021. Archived from the original on 5 January 2021. Retrieved 13 January 2021.
  3. "US promises to continue search for crew on missing Taiwan fishing boat". Taiwan News. 8 January 2021. Retrieved 13 January 2021.
  4. "Mysterious Abandoned Longliner Taken in Tow Off Midway". The Maritime Executive. Retrieved 14 November 2021.
  5. "Coast Guard suspends search for missing mariners off Midway Island | Coast Guard News". coastguardnews.com. Retrieved 14 November 2021.
  6. "Yilan District Prosecutors Office Conclude Investigations on Missing Crew Members of the Su'ao Yong Yu Sing No. 18 Fishing Boat after Finding No Criminal Activity Involved Regarding the Disappearances" (PDF). Taiwan Yilan District Prosecutors Office. Archived from the original (PDF) on 24 Jun 2022. Retrieved 24 June 2022.
  7. 江志雄 (9 March 2021). "「船在人不在」真相呼之欲出？ 永裕興18號完成2階段採證". Liberty Times (in Chinese). Archived from the original on 10 March 2021. Retrieved 24 June 2022.
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