Japanese whaler presumed dead after falling overboard
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A Japanese sailor reported missing from a whaling ship in the Southern Ocean is presumed dead after apparently falling overboard into the freezing Antarctic waters.
Hajime Shirasaki, 30, was reported missing when he did not turn up for his shift yesterday morning.
A spokesman for the ship's operators, Glen Inwood, said a "thorough" search of the vessel failed to find the sailor and it is feared Mr Shirasaki was washed into the sea.
"When the sailor didn't turn up for his shift at approximately 0330 hours Japan time, a search of the vessel was conducted and when he wasn't found then an intensive sea search of the near sea area around the vessel was conducted, but there's been no sighting of the man," he said.
Mr Inwood said it was possible the sailor was in the water for several hours before anyone knew he was missing.
He said it was highly likely Mr Shirasaki was dead if that was the case.
"Given the freezing temperatures of the sea, the large swells at the time and the cold weather also at the time, it's hard to see how somebody could survive in that environment for anything longer than an hour," he said.
Mr Inwood said Mr Shirasaki was an oiler who worked in the engine room of the Kyoshin Maru Number Two.
He said the search for Mr Shirasaki involved other Japanese whaling ships in the area but added it was being hampered by the remote location.
"At the moment the vessels have been moving into that area and will continue the search.
"The New Zealand Search and Rescue office, which has responsibility for that part of the Southern Ocean, has said that it is just too far for them to conduct an aerial search because by the time they get the plane down there it will merely have to turn around and come back, given the fuel that it will take."