Fishermen have found the body of a Filipino skipper who fell overboard following a collision with two other ships Wednesday afternoon in the Seto Inland Sea off Hyogo Prefecture, the Japan Coast Guard said Thursday.
Rescuers are still searching for two other sailors from the cargo vessel Gold Leader who were lost in the accident, said coast guard official Tomoyuki Sato.
The Belize-registered freighter sank in the Akashi Strait after colliding Wednesday with a Japan-registered vessel and a tanker.
The crew of a fishing boat working nearby found the body of Gold Leader skipper Tomas Nirid Demandaco Jr., 51, Thursday, Sato said.
One of the six crew members rescued after the accident died at a hospital early Thursday, Sato added. All nine of the Gold Leader's crew were Filipinos.