A 436-ton cargo ship sank off shore of Mie Prefecture in western Japan early Friday, but all four crew members were rescued.

The freighter sank at around 1:30 am local time, about 4 kilometers off shore of Ise Bay in the prefecture, local press reported, adding that the 73-year-old captain and three crew members were rescued by the Japanese Coast Guard.

The freighter sent an emergency call at around 8:30 p.m. Thursday after the bottom of the ship was hit by something and caused flooding. The Japanese Coast Guard dispatched several patrol vessels to search for the ship.

The coast guard said the freighter might crash with rocks gathered along with the shore of the shallow bay area, between 15 and 18 meters deep.

The ship belongs to a company in the city of Tanabe, in the western Japanese prefecture of Wakayama, according to the report.