The fishermen were pulling out net when the boat turned over in the Sea of Okhotsk off the coast of Kamchatka Peninsula.
The boat is trapped in fishing ropes about 600 meters from the coast at a depth of five-six meters. The remaining six fishermen are alive and waiting for help. They spent the night under the hull of the boat breathing the air from an air bubble formed after the boat turned over.
Gale force winds of 20 meters per second and rough seas are hampering the rescue effort, a ministry's spokesman said, and a border guard ship cannot approach the boat in shallow waters.
The emergencies ministry has sent a team of professional divers and special equipment to the site of the incident to assist in the rescue effort. The rescue operation will resume after proper assessment of the situation, the spokesman said.
