Loss of Daeyang Honey en route to Mizushima, Japan

Summary

The South Korean bulk ore carrier Daeyang Honey sailed from Koolan Island, Western Australia on 14 October 1992, with a crew of 28. The ship was loaded with a full cargo of about 122,300 tonnes of low-grade iron ore, bound for the Japanese port of Mizushima.

In the afternoon of 22 October, a signal from a float-free emergency position indicator radio beacon (EPIRB) was detected by the search and-rescue polar orbiting satellite system (COSPAS-SARSAT), about 300 miles east of the Philippine Islands, close to the area of the typhoon Colleen. The EPIRB was identified as coming from the Daeyang Honey.

An initial air search by the United States authorities based on the Island of Guam was hindered by bad weather associated with the typhoon. On 25 October, in better flying conditions, a life raft was located and ships in the area were requested to search for survivors and wreckage.

On 26 October the life raft was relocated and a little later the EPIRB, surrounded by debris, was also sighted. The motor vessel Azalea Everett was diverted to the position of the EPIRB, where debris and the beacon were found, but no survivors. At about the same time, the motor vessel Bum Ju located the life raft and positively identified it as belonging to the Daeyang Honey.

The Daeyang Honey had loaded iron ore on a number of occasions at the Australian ports of Dampier and Port Hedland.

Conclusions

1. Nothing occurred at Koolan Island that contributed to the loss of the vessel.
2. The cargo loaded contained no characteristic that would have involved an increased risk over the normal ore shipped from Koolan Island.
3. The failure to supply the master with a written loading declaration had no bearing on the loss of the ship. The information on Koolan Island iron ore, contained in such a declaration, would not have altered or modified the loading of the cargo.
4. The Daeyang Honey encountered a severe tropical storm (typhoon) during 21 and 22 October. It would seem that the ship foundered from whatever cause in the early afternoon of 22 October 1992. The storm must be considered to have significantly contributed to the loss.