Yacht Reportedly Sinks Off Oita Pref.; Search Underway for People Who May Have Been Aboard

The Yomiuri Shimbun

14:15 JST, August 13, 2025

A sand and gravel carrier collided with a yacht off Tsukumi, Oita Prefecture, according to a report to the Saiki coast guard station made by the captain of the carrier on Wednesday morning. A search is being conducted for people who may have been aboard the yacht.

According to relevant authorities, the report was made at 8:15 a.m. on Wednesday. The collision is believed to have occurred approximately two kilometers northeast of Hoto Island, and there is a possibility the yacht has sunk.

The Oita Coast Guard Office, along with other entities, dispatched seven ships to search the area, finding one person so far. The individual is a man in his 50s who was discovered in a state of cardiac arrest.

He was confirmed dead in the afternoon.

The carrier is 64.71 meters long and weighs 492 tons. There were no injuries reported among the five people aboard the carrier, including the captain.