Coast Guard officers said the three injured were taken to the hospital for treatment, where they were reported to be in stable condition. The officers said they received a call at 1:15 a.m. that day asking for assistance after a fisherman in one of the Taiwanese boats was injured when the accident took place.

The coast guard sent a cutter to the scene and was able to pick up the injured fisherman, identified as 67-year-old Chung Yue. During the rescue mission, the cable ruptured suddenly, causing coast guard officers Chu Chao-pin and Lee Chi-mei to suffer hand injuries.

The South Korean freighter, the Seongho Galaxy, and the two Taiwanese fishing boats, were escorted by the cutter to Taichung Harbor. The 3,690-ton freighter was making its way from Japan and was scheduled to arrive at Anping Harbor in Tainan Saturday. It is carrying 4,750 tons of chemicals and has a crew of 15 — 10 Koreans and five Myanmarese.

The Coast Guard was still investigating the cause of the accident.