Seven individuals have been discovered after a tourist boat carrying 26 passengers vanished off the coast of Japan's northern island of Hokkaido. The yacht made a distress signal claiming it was taking on water at 13:15 local time (04:15 GMT) on Saturday, and authorities lost contact with it.

        The coastguard had no way of knowing if those discovered were still alive. The boat, Kazu 1, was on a three-hour cruise around the Shiretoko Peninsula, according to reports.

        The region is a UNESCO world heritage site, and boat tours are popular among visitors wanting to see whales, sea lions, and brown bears on the rocky shores. The search and rescue operation, which includes helicopters, patrol boats, and divers, is still underway. Two of the 26 people on board were crew members and two were minors.

        According to Japanese media, Kazu 1 was last heard from at 15:00 local time on Saturday, when the crew said it was tilting at a 30-degree angle and sinking. Local fishing boats had supposedly opted to return to port by mid-morning due to the heavy waves in the region. 

        According to the crew, everyone on board was wearing a life jacket. When night arrives, however, temperatures in the region can drop below 0C (32F).