Recreational Fishing Boat Drifts Off Penghu; Captain and Pet Dog Rescued

Central News Agency, Penghu County, June 2. A Penghu recreational fishing boat, 'Xiuxian Yuzheng (Xi) 0001,' carrying a captain surnamed Chen and his pet dog, drifted off the coast of Daguoye, Xiyu, early this morning due to engine failure. The Penghu Coast Guard received a report and dispatched a rescue team. The captain and his dog were safely transferred to the patrol boat, and the fishing vessel was towed back to Magong Port for repairs. The 13th Coast Guard Patrol District received the report around 2:00 AM today that the boat was drifting 0.2 nautical miles east of Daguoye. The Penghu Coast Guard dispatched a patrol boat, which located the vessel at 3:10 AM, 0.8 nautical miles southeast of Daguoye. Fearing the boat might run aground, the crew moved the captain and his dog to the patrol boat and successfully towed the vessel back to Magong Port by 5:00 AM. Everyone is safe. The Penghu Coast Guard stated that the engine failure was likely caused by a propeller issue. The Kinmen-Matsu-Penghu Branch of the Coast Guard urges boaters to conduct thorough pre-departure checks and to call the toll-free '118' emergency number in case of accidents.