Tomoya Toyota, center, head of the association of pleasure boat companies for the Hozugawa River, based in Kameoka, Kyoto Prefecture, speaks to reporters at a news conference on March 29. Nobuhiro Shirai KAMEOKA, Kyoto Prefecture Officials from the operator of the sightseeing boat that capsized in the river here say the accident resulted from the steersman falling overboard and the vessel striking the rocks.
The Kameoka-based association of pleasure boat companies for the Hozugawa River reported at a news conference on March 29 that the crew member steering the boat from the back missed the water with his long rudder oar.
He lost his balance and fell overboard, and the boat soon hit the rocks and flipped over.
Saburo Tanaka, 51, a crew member who was plying the long pole in the front of the boat, died in the accident. Another crew member, a 40-year-old man who was rowing the boat in the middle, rushed to the back to take over, fell into the river and went missing.
Interviews with the two remaining crew members showed that it took just over 10 seconds from the time the steersman fell overboard when the boat hit the rocks.
The two said that one of the two rowers rushed to the rear to steer, but the boat gradually drifted to the left. It collided with rocks and Tanaka fell into the river at the front.
He was not wearing a life jacket when he was pulled from the water. According to the operator, it is believed that he was wearing one at the time the tour started.
After hitting the rocks, the boat remained pinned there and capsized after taking on water from the river's swift current.
If there is no crew member steering the boat, it will veer out of control, said Tomoya Toyota, 57, the association's head.
He said the boat was unable to navigate and veered off its normal course.
He said it is not clear why the crew member missed the water with the rudder oar and fell into the river.
Toyota apologizes for the frightening moments experienced by customers who were involved in the accident.
We express our heartfelt condolences to the crew member who died, he added and bowed deeply.
The boat was carrying 25 passengers and four crewmen when it capsized in the Hozugawa River at around 11 a.m. on March 28, according to the association.
Kyoto police and firefighters searched for the missing rower with a helicopter and a boat from the morning of March 29 but could not find him that day.
The Transportation Safety Board sent two ship accident investigators to the site on the same day to examine the recovered boat.
On March 30, the police and firefighters said they received information that a body was found about 400 meters downstream from the accident site. They are checking the details.