Body of skipper from capsized towboat found in Kaohsiung fishing port

Kaohsiung, May 25 (CNA) The body of a man found floating in a Kaohsiung fishing port early Sunday has been identified as the skipper of a towboat that capsized on Friday, according to the Kaohsiung Harbor Police Department.

First responders recovered the body from the Cihou fishing port, located in the northern part of the island district of Cijin, after receiving a report from a local police station around midnight, the harbor police said Sunday.

A family member of the 25-year-old towboat captain, surnamed Yang (楊), identified the body, police said.

Yang had been missing since the vessel capsized not far from the fishing port on Friday when assisting a fishing vessel out of the Kaohsiung Harbor at 11:20 a.m., the harbor police said.

The search and rescue team was unable to locate the skipper following Friday's accident, while the only other crew member on board, a 33-year-old man surnamed Chen (陳), managed to swim to shore, according to the Harbor Police.

No apparent wounds were observed during the initial examination of the body by the harbor police, who said prosecutors will be notified to conduct an autopsy as legally required for unnatural deaths.

What caused the towboat to capsize remains under investigation, according to the harbor police.