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Amphibious aircraft resume search for missing Vostok vessel

The ship's emergency beacon issued a distress call early on January 25

VLADIVOSTOK, January 28. /TASS/. Beriev Be-200 amphibious aircraft resumed search for the missing fishing vessel, the Vostok, in daylight on Sunday, a source in the Maritime Rescue Coordination Center in Russia’s Far Eastern city of Vladivostok told TASS.

"During a conference call in the morning, it was decided that the search effort should be conducted by two Be-200 aircraft of the Russian Emergencies Ministry. Helicopters will remain on standby, because the search area has shifted southward. Considering the distance and the need for refueling, their constant use will be non-efficient," the source said.

Two Be-200 aircraft headed to the search area at 09:10 local time (02:10 Moscow time) and 09:55 local time (02:55 Moscow time).

Early on January 25, an emergency radio beacon belonging to the Vostok fishing vessel with 20 people on board, went off 50-70 miles from the Russian port of Posyet. A sea and air search operation was launched.

In the first two days of the operation as many as 7,286 square kilometers of sea area were surveyed. A radio beacon, moorings, two life jackets and two buoy rings were found but no signs of the crew were detected. On Saturday evening, two life rafts were found, but no people.