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Japan Coast Guard Rescues 2 Crew Members After Boat Carrying Nearly 6,000 Cows Sinks Off Coast

(Japan Coast Guard, 10th Regional Coast Guard Headquarters via Getty Images)

Varun Hukeri General Assignment & Analysis Reporter
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The Japan Coast Guard rescued a second survivor Friday after a ship carrying 5,800 cows to China from New Zealand reportedly capsized off the coast of Japan due to stormy weather.

Filipino deckhand Jay-nel Rosals was found wearing a life jacket and floating in a raft near Amami Oshima Island in the East China Sea, the Associated Press reported. Rescuers had been searching for 43 missing crew members after the Gulf Livestock 1 ship sent out a distress signal Wednesday.

Regional coast guard spokesman Takahiro Yamada said rescuers also found an unconscious man, who was taken to a hospital Friday and later pronounced dead, according to The Washington Post.

The coast guard said they had four boats, an aircraft and divers ready to conduct rescue operations Friday, the Associated Press reported. A bundle of orange rope and a life jacket were also retrieved, according to the coast guard. (RELATED: Japan Hit Simultaneously With Typhoon And Earthquake)

Chief Officer Edvardo Sareno was the first survivor to be rescued Wednesday. Video footage released by the coast guard showed rescuers maneuvering their boat in the rough waters to get Sareno out of the water. He was draped in a blanket and could be heard asking if he was “the only one” to be rescued.

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The rescue has been complicated by Typhoon Maysak and the arrival of Typhoon Haishen is expected to hinder the operation even further due to its severity, the Guardian reported.

The Philippine Department of Foreign Affairs said the country would be coordinating with the Japanese coast guard as 39 of the 43 crew members on the boat were Filipino nationals, according to the Associated Press.

“Our hearts go out to those onboard and their families at this time. We also express deep regret for the sad loss of the livestock on board,” reads a statement released Friday by Gulf Navigation Holdings PJSC, a Dubai-based firm that operated the boat. “We pray that there are other survivors.”