Lives saved
2
Ocean
Boat Sinking
Mechanical failure
Fire
PLB Saves Two Fishermen After Vessel Fire Off Okinawa
25.848778°N, 131.2507325°E
Posted on April 6, 2026 by Chinen
What happened?
Fishing vessel Saki Maru No.8 departed Umino Fishing Port in Okinawa on January 27, 2026 with two crew members on board for a diamond squid fishing trip.
On the night of February 12, shortly after 10pm, the crew reported to their partner vessel Himeka Maru that they had finished fishing for the day. Around 10:30pm they noticed smoke and discovered a fire coming from an electrical switchboard near the bow of the vessel. They tried to extinguish the fire using onboard extinguishers, but the flames quickly spread and could not be controlled.
With the fire worsening, the crew abandoned the vessel and boarded their life raft. Before leaving, they activated their Personal Locator Beacon to signal for help.
The distress signal was received by the Japan Coast Guard, which dispatched an aircraft to the area. Around 2:40am the following morning the aircraft located Saki Maru No.8 on fire and spotted the crew nearby using a searchlight.
The Coast Guard then requested assistance from a nearby fishing vessel, Minato Maru. The vessel arrived around 3:40am and safely rescued both fishermen from the water.
The crew were later returned safely to Minatogawa Fishing Port. Although Saki Maru No.8 was ultimately lost and sank after the fire, both crew members survived thanks to the activation of their Personal Locator Beacon.
Words of wisdom
Although the vessel sank after fire, the lives of two crew members were saved because they purchased a PLB shortly before departure and carried it.
Thank you note
It was an unexpected fire on the vessel that resulted in the vessel sinking. We would like to express our sincere gratitude to ACR Electronics for the reliable beacon and to all the people on F/V Minato Maru and Japan Coast Guard (11th Regional Coast Guard) for having rescued us from such an emergency situation.
Rescue location
Minamidaitōjima, Minamidaito, Shimajiri District, Okinawa, Japan
Rescue team
Coast Guard
