MARCH 1, 1954
A Narrative of the Incident
Some ten knots west and somewhat north of 11° 09' north latitude,
166° 54' east longitude, in the deep blue and purple waters of the
western Pacific ocean, a 100-ton dragon lay wallowing in the sea.
The
longline tuna fisning vessel Diego Fukuyu Maru, or Lucky Dragon No. 5
was riding easily with the early morning swells as its crew began to
fignt off the ghosts af sleep.
Sea birds which had nested for the night,
began lifting skyward to begin the endless hunt for food.
In like
manner, tuna and other fish beneath the surface would begin seeking small
bait fisn near the surface.
Lucky Dragon,
Between the tuna and the birds waited the
also preparing to join the hunt.
The Lucky Dragon's journey had begun January 22, from its home port
of Yaizu City.
Ship's captain Hisakicni Tsuitsui had at first headed
nis vessel toward the fishing grounds near Hawaii and ifidway.
When
these grounds proved unproductive, he headed the Dragon and its 23 man
crew south,
toward the Marshall Islands.
(6%,
p. 170).
The captain,
and the fishing master iioshio Misaki, apparently disappointed and
anxious about their small catch, decided to fish near Bikini Atoll,
the
site of the first postwar atomic bomb tests--despite the fact they risked
being caught by the U.S. Navy for fisning in Trust Territory waters.
Perhaps also nagging at the back of tneir minds was the knowledge that
Bikini iad been the site of nuclear tests~~but that had been nearly
eight years ago.
The lure of a final big catch to fill their holds mus t
have outweighed any such anxiety as they pushed closer to Bikini.
It
was, after all, nearly a matter of now or never, since an accidentally
cut line
and dwindling fuel reserves
return home.
The Dragon's
luck had not been & good this voyage
and >
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would soon force them to