Water flooded into the Gulf Livestock One ship, the crewmen fought their best to save a doomed live export ship, but it capsized in stormy waters and sank with 43 crew members in the East China Sea.
Nearly 5,800 cows were found floating in the seaboard.
The 11,947-ton, Australian-owned Gulf Livestock One, was carrying 43 crewmen and 5,800 cows. On August 14, the ship left New Zealand and was suppose to reach today to the Port of Jingtang in Tangshan, China. But on Wednesday, when the ship was heading across the East China Sea, it started to stumble, the crew tried to keep the ship afloat.
Typhoon Maysak was blown by southern Japan when the vessel sank into the sea, 39 crew from the Philippines, two from New Zealand, and two from Australia tried their best to save the ship. At around 1:20 am on Wednesday, the captain of Gulf Livestock One sent a distress call to the Japanese Coast Guard.
Right after getting the distress call, rescuers in an aircraft and on boats, including divers started to look for the survivors. On Friday, the team discovered a body and several dead cows in the sea.
It was revealed that while searching in the north of Amami Oshima Island, in the East China Sea, they found an unconscious man, about 75 miles northwest of the island. He was taken to the hospital, but later he was pronounced dead, no nationality or name has been released about that crew member.
Till now, only two survivors have been rescued. On Thursday night, 45-year-old Filipino chief officer Sareno Edvarodo was rescued.
On Friday afternoon, coast guards rescue Filipino deckhand, Jay-nel Rosals, he was wearing a life jacket and was found floating in the north of Amami Oshima Island.
25-year-old, Australian veterinarian Lukas Orda, is still said to be missing. He was on board when the captain sent the distress call to the Japanese Coast Guard. Lukas and his wife welcomed their first child six months ago. He was working with horses in Gold Coast, before joining Australian-owned Gulf Livestock One as a vet.
Rescuers are trying to search as much as they can, but another typhoon is making the search difficult. Coast Guards suspended their search efforts because of the strong wind and torrential rain on Friday. They are expecting to resume their search once the weather calms down.