One crew member was found dead and two others were rescued Thursday after a fishing boat capsized in waters near South Korea's easternmost islets of Dokdo a day earlier, the Coast Guard said.

Six people remained unaccounted for after the 72-ton vessel capsized in waters 168 kilometers northeast of Dokdo at 2:24 p.m. on Wednesday, as officials stepped up search and rescue operations, including sending 14 divers into the capsized boat.

The nine-member crew consisted of three South Koreans, four Chinese and two Indonesians.

Earlier in the morning, a private fishing vessel found two Chinese crew members conscious and adrift near the area. They were airlifted by helicopter and rushed to a hospital on the island of Ulleung for treatment, officials said.

The deceased crew member, whose identity was not known, was found inside the vessel's wheelhouse.

Mobilizing eight Navy, Coast Guard and private ships, and five aircrafts, the Coast Guard has been searching the area overnight. A Japanese Coast Guard ship is also participating in the search. (Yonhap)