YONG YU SING NO.18

General information

Course/Position

Latest news

Active search for crew suspended

The US Coast Guard has suspended the active search for the 10 crewmembers of the 'Yong-Yu-Sing No. 18' on Jan 13, who went missing approximately 550 miles northeast of Midway Island. Rescue crews from the Coast Guard, Navy, and good Samaritans aboard four fishing vessels and five Automated Mutual-Assistance Vessel Rescue System (AMVER) vessels conducted a total of 34 searches, over the course of 80 hours, covering over 44,000 square miles. The partners had been searching for the crew since Dec. 31, 2020, after the Rescue Coordination Center Taipei lost contact with the vessel. An Air Station Barbers Point HC-130 aircrew located the adrift Yong-Yu-Sing No. 18, Jan. 1, with a missing life raft and no sign of the 10 crewmembers. Both Air Station Barbers Point and Navy aircrews performed daily air sorties of the area while the merchant and fishing vessel crews conducted surface searches. The weather on scene throughout the search has been winds regularly greater than 20 mph and seas of 11 to 25 feet and is forecasted to rapidly deteriorate. Despite the high winds and seas, crewmembers aboard the Taiwan fishing vessel 'Lian-Horng No. 67' and the AMVER vessel 'Horizon Spirit' were able to circle within 200 feet of the vessel. The rescue crews reported no signs of the missing mariners and placed an automatic tracking system beacon which allowed watchstanders to continuously track the vessel during the search. Involved in the search were: - Coast Guard Air Station Barbers Point C-130 Hercules aircrews; - A Coast Guard Air Station Kodiak C-130J Hercules aircrew; - Four Taiwan fishing vessels - Navy P-8 Poseidon aircrews - The crew of the AMVER vessel 'OOCL Tokyo', - The crew of the AMVER vessel 'Nicon Future'; - The crew of the AMVER vessel 'Horizon Spirit'; - The crew of the AMVER vessel ''ZIM New York' - The crew of the AMVER vessel 'Maunalei'.

Drifting longliner taken in tow

The Pingtung County based longliner 'Yi Rong No. 18' has reached the drifting 'Yong Yu Sing No. 18' on Jan 12 and hitched a towing cable to the vessel. The operation was carried out at 7:40 p.m. local time north of Midway Island (3:40 pm Taiwan time). The 'Yi Rong No. 18' was now towing the 'Yong Yu Sing No. 18' towards calmer waters, where it was hoped that crew members will be able to board the ship and determine if any of the 10 crew members has remained aboard. Boarding will take place at dawn at the earliest. The Taiwan’s National Rescue Command Center has requested US search and rescue services to expand the range of the search for the lifeboat which was found to be missing from the 'Yong Yu Sing No.18'. A US Navy vessel is also heading the area to assist with the search and rescue operation.

Search for missing crew members continued

The US Coast Guard, US Navy, and good Samaritans in coordination with Rescue Coordination Center Taipei continued the search for the 10 crewmembers of the Yong-Yu-Sing No. 18' about 550-miles northeast of Midway Island on Jan 12. To date they have consecutively completed 29 search sorties lasting 73-hours in total and covering more than 40,000 square nautical-miles. The search was on since Dec. 31, 2020, after the Rescue Coordination Center Taipei lost contact with the vessel. An Air Station Barbers Point HC-130 aircrew located the adrift Yong-Yu-Sing No. 18, Jan. 1, with a missing life raft and no signs of the 10 crewmembers. Following the discovery of the vessel, JRCC Honolulu watchstanders coordinated with both the Navy and good Samaritans aboard four Taiwan fishing vessels and three Automated Mutual-Assistance Vessel Rescue System (AMVER) merchant vessels to continuously search the area over the following days. Both Air Station Barbers Point and Navy aircrews have performed continuous daily air sorties of the area while the merchant and fishing vessel crews have conducted surface searches. High seas, strong winds, and low visibility have been a constant obstacle that has prevented crews from boarding the 'Yong-Yu-Sing No. 18'. The reported weather on scene has been winds regularly greater than 20 mph and seas of 11 to 25 feet. Despite the seas, both the 'Lian-Horng No. 67' and the AMVER vessel 'Horizon Spirit' circled within 200 feet of the vessel this weekend. They searched for signs of any crewmen that may have remained aboard, gathered imagery to help ascertain the cause of the incident, and dropped the automatic tracking system beacon on the vessel. The automatic tracking system beacon will allow watchstanders to continuously track the vessel as the search continued. Involved in the search were to date: - Coast Guard Air Station Barbers Point C-130 Hercules aircrews - A Coast Guard Air Station Kodiak C-130J Hercules aircrew, - Four Taiwan fishing vessels, - Navy P-8 Poseidon aircrews, - The crew of the AMVER vessel 'OOCL Tokyo', - The crew of the AMVER vessel M/V Nicon Future, - The crew of the AMVER vessel M/V Zim New York.