Search for missing crew of the "Ivan Kasatkin" continues

In the Tatar Strait, rescuers keep searching for the missing crew of the fishing schooner Ivan Kasatkin, the Sakhalin-based Center for Coordinating Rescue Operations reported on Wednesday. Despite stormy weather, the search involves six ships and a helicopter.

Rescuers said the distress signal came on Monday evening. At that moment, the Ivan Kasatkin was in distress in the northern part of the Tatar Strait, which separates Sakhalin from the mainland.

The motor ship Komsomolets Primorya approached the schooner, which was lying on its side, two hours later. The crew of the ship in distress was ordered by radio to take to life-saving equipment. 20 minutes later, the crew of the motor ship spotted a raft with nine people on it. Eight of them were taken aboard, one got lost in the storm. Some time later, the schooner sank.

On Tuesday morning, rescuers found another raft with one sailor on it. The man later died of exposure.

In the meantime, it turned out that nine people were missing. Rescue teams carry on with their search.