- A gravel-carrying cargo vessel collided with a yacht in Tsukumi Bay, Japan, on August 13, 2025.
- A large-scale search involving six patrol boats and an aircraft recovered the body of 70-year-old Dr. Makoto Yamamoto.
- Initial reports suggested that multiple people were on board, but witnesses confirmed that he was alone.
- The Coast Guard cited poor visibility and inadequate precautions by the cargo vessel’s master as factors in the incident.
A cargo vessel transporting gravel collided with a yacht in Tsukumi Bay, off the southeastern coast of Kyushu Island, Japan, on August 13, 2025, leading to a search and rescue operation and reports of one fatality, according to the report by Marine Insight.
Collision Details and Investigation
The captain of the cargo vessel informed the Oita Coast Guard that the yacht involved in the incident had disappeared and was presumed sunk, noting that several people might have been on board. The search and rescue operation, involving six patrol boats and an aircraft, began shortly after the report. By 10:00 a.m., the body of a 70-year-old man, later identified as Dr. Makoto Yamamoto, was recovered. He was found in cardiac arrest and was pronounced dead at the hospital. Witness interviews later confirmed that Dr. Yamamoto had been alone on the yacht at the time of the collision. The Coast Guard reported that visibility was poor during the incident, but also stated that the cargo ship’s master, 28-year-old Yuki Mochizuki, failed to take adequate precautions. The vessel, weighing 492 tonnes and measuring 65 meters in length, reportedly did not slow or stop before the impact and has been detained for further investigation.
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Source: Marine Insight
