Search for crew from capsized cattle ship suspended due to Typhoon Haishen

TOKYO (Reuters) - Japan's coastguard on Saturday suspended its search for crew missing from a cattle ship in the East China Sea due to bad weather from a typhoon, a coastguard said.

A third crewman from the Gulf Livestock 1 that capsized in a storm off Japan with a crew of 43 and a cargo of nearly 6,000 cattle, was found alive on Friday.

The search continued through noon Japan time (0300 GMT), without finding more crew, but vessels, airplanes and divers were pulled out due to bad weather, Junpei Sakaguchi, an officer at search and rescue division at the 10th regional maritime safety headquarters of Japan Coast Guard told Reuters by phone.

A Filipino crew member of Gulf Livestock 1, a cargo ship carrying livestock and dozens of crew that went missing after issuing a distress signal due to Typhoon Maysak, is rescued by Japan Coast Guard crew onboard the vessel Kaimon at the East China Sea, to the west of Amami Oshima island in southwestern Japan, in this still image taken from video September 4, 2020. Courtesy 10th Regional Coast Guard Headquarters - Japan Coast Guard/Handout via REUTERS

"We plan to resume the search when sea and weather conditions improve, but we don't know when that would be as it will depend on weather," he said.

The powerful Typhoon Haishen is approaching southwestern Japan, with weather forecasters warning of heavy rainfall, huge waves and high tides.

The Gulf Livestock 1 sent a distress call from the west of Amami Oshima island in southwestern Japan on Wednesday as Typhoon Maysak lashed the area with strong winds and heavy seas.

Thumbnail courtesy of Courtesy 10th Regional Coast Guard Headquarters - Japan Coast Guard/Handout via REUTERS.

(Reporting by Yuka Obayashi; Editing by Tom Hogue and William Mallard)