Three fishermen who survived four days in an overturned fishing boat off Hachijojima Island before being rescued are complaining of pain all over their bodies because they were trapped so long in the very narrow space, a hospital nurse told reporters Thursday.
The three, part of the Daiichi Kofuku Maru's crew of eight, are in Hachijo hospital in the town of Hachijo on the island.
The three told the nurse they were stuck in the dark, narrow space for such a long time that they are still in pain.
Miyo Okiyama, head nurse of the hospital, told reporters that Takamitsu Nyubara, Moriyoshi Utsunomiya and Masao Hayakawa ate a large breakfast in the morning but were still hungry, Okiyama said.
"I had wanted to eat rolled sponge cake and drink sports drinks when I was rescued," Okiyama quoted Nyubara, 33, as saying.
The hospital offered him cake and orange juice after breakfast.
Commenting on how he felt when he was rescued, Nyubara said, "I was relieved when a diver told me that he would rescue me."
Since the fishing boat did not sustain any significant damage, it is believed it was flipped by high waves. The Japan Coast Guard is investigating the cause. A typhoon was approaching at the time.
The coast guard plans to question the three and continued Thursday to search for the four crew members still missing.
Shingo Makiyama, the skipper, was found in a life raft about 20 km north of the island but was later pronounced dead.
On Wednesday, a coast guard patrol plane spotted the fishing boat about 55 km north-northeast of the island.