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Gulf Livestock 1 broadcast a distress signal early Wednesday morning when it was about 185 kilometers (115 miles) west of Amami Oshima Island, halfway between Okinawa and Kyushu, Japan’s southernmost main island.
The area in the East China Sea was being hit by the powerful typhoon, equivalent to a Category 4 hurricane with winds of at least 130 mph, at the time the ship disappeared.
The rescued sailor was found Wednesday night, after more than half a day in the water. It was in good condition, the Coast Guard said.
The 133.6-meter-long (438-foot) ship, manned by 39 Filipinos, two New Zealanders and two Australians, was sailing from Napier, New Zealand, to Tangshan, China, according to authorities in Japan, New Zealand and Australia.
The Panamanian flagged ship left New Zealand on August 17 with a cargo of more than 5,800 cows, according to the New Zealand Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade.
The Philippine Department of Foreign Affairs confirmed that the rescued sailor was Filipino, adding that its consulate general in Osaka was monitoring the situation and coordinating with the Japanese Coast Guard, which was launching a second search and rescue mission.
A second storm in the region, Typhoon Haishen, is expected to strengthen to the equivalent of a Category 4 hurricane by the end of the week. It is expected to threaten Kyushu on Sunday and potentially affect the Korean peninsula on Monday.
Japan’s meteorological agency warns that the storm could be the third largest to hit the country since records began nearly 70 years ago.
A New Zealand animal rights group said the Gulf Livestock 1 incident illustrates why the export of live animals should not be allowed.
“These cows should never have been in the sea. To make matters worse, they are probably all pregnant,” said Marianne Macdonald, campaign manager for animal rights group SAFE NZ.
“This is a real crisis, and our thoughts are with the families of the 43 crew members who are missing with the ship. But questions remain, including why this trade is allowed to continue,” Macdonald said in a statement.
CNN’s Angus Watson, Eric Cheung, Junko Ogura, and Thornton Chandler contributed to this report.
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