Inquest into the Suspected Death of Tatao HIYOMORI
Deceased
Tatao HIYOMORI
Demographics
33y, male
Date of death
1986-01-08
Finding date
2020-05-04
Cause of death
Unable to determine - likely immersion following disappearance at sea
AI-generated summary
Tatao Hiyomori, a 33-year-old Japanese engineering crew member, disappeared from the fishing vessel Kiyo Maru 5 on 8 January 1986 in the Southern Indian Ocean approximately 30 nautical miles south-west of Rottnest Island. He was last seen at 6:00 am when entering a shared bunk and was discovered missing at approximately 11:00 am. An extensive search by the vessel and Western Australian Water Police covering 130 square nautical miles in excellent sea conditions found no trace. The coroner established death beyond reasonable doubt but could not determine manner or cause, as the death could have resulted from immersion following accidental fall overboard, medical emergency, injury, or other circumstances. An Open Finding was made. This case highlights the challenges of investigating deaths at sea with limited evidence and communication barriers with foreign nationals.
AI-generated summary and tagging — may contain inaccuracies; refer to original finding for legal purposes.
Contributing factors
- Disappearance overboard from fishing vessel
- Cramped and hot engine room conditions requiring crew time on deck
- Shared bunk rotation system among engineering crew
- Likely absence of swimming ability (common among Japanese fishermen of the era)
- Shark-infested waters in search area
- Language and communication barriers with foreign crew
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