Rescuers search dark, cold sea for survivors of shipwreck off South Korea

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Are you there and safe? Show us whats happening. By Michael Pearson, Euan McKirdy and Stella Kim, CNN !ed "pril #$, %&#'

(CNN) Military dive teams wor ed the dar ! "old waters of the #ellow Sea on $ednesday night in a desperate effort to find nearly %&& people who remained missing after the ferry they were ta ing to a South 'orean island resort san with (reathta ing speed. )ffi"ials said four people were nown dead and at least *+, had (een res"ued after the ferry Sewol swiftly listed and then "apsi-ed off the southwest "oast of South 'orea. Nearly %&& others are missing! authorities said! (ut the e.a"t num(er of passengers a(oard the ferry was un"lear amid the "onfusion of the res"ue effort. /he (ul of those a(oard were students and tea"hers from Seouls Ansan 0anwon 1igh S"hool heading to a four2day trip to 3e4u! a resort island "onsidered the 1awaii of 'orea. More than %&& students and more than a do-en tea"hers from the s"hool were on (oard! a""ording to offi"ials. 5t was not immediately "lear if the dead three males and a female were students! tea"hers! part of the "rew or other passengers from the ferry. /he ship san within two hours of its first distress "all! whi"h "ame 4ust (efore 6 a.m.! the semioffi"ial #onhap News Agen"y reported. 5ts not nown what "aused the in"ident.

1eli"opters! military vessels and fishing (oats swarmed to the s"ene to help res"ue passengers. Survivors told CNN affiliate #/N that announ"ements on (oard the ferry! whi"h also "arries "ars and shipping "ontainers! ordered passengers to remain where they were after the ship (egan to violently list. Sin ing ship7 /wo fatalities reported

5t was not immediately "lear if the dead three males and a female were students! tea"hers! part of the "rew or other passengers from the ferry. /he ship san within two hours of its first distress "all! whi"h "ame 4ust (efore 6 a.m.! the semioffi"ial #onhap News Agen"y reported. 5ts not nown what "aused the in"ident. 1eli"opters! military vessels and fishing (oats swarmed to the s"ene to help res"ue passengers. Survivors told CNN affiliate #/N that announ"ements on (oard the ferry! whi"h also "arries "ars and shipping "ontainers! ordered passengers to remain where they were after the ship (egan to violently list. )thers told passengers to 4ump into the water. 8es"ued student 9im 1yung Min was among those told to 4ump. 1e told CNN affiliate #/N that he heard a loud (ump 4ust (efore the ship (egan to list and several off his "lassmates were flung off their feet. /he "rew ordered them to don life 4a" ets and 4ump into the o"ean! he said. :5 had to swim a (it to get to the (oat to (e res"ued!: he said. :/he water was so "old and 5 wanted to live.: $ater temperatures in the area are (etween ;& and ;; degrees <ahrenheit (a(out *& to *% degrees Celsius)! CNN meteorologist =randon Miller said. >assenger 'im Seung Mo said that despite his efforts and those of others! he "ouldnt get to several passengers on one of the de" s. :5 stayed till the last to res"ue people at the hall!: 'im told #/N. :=ut the water was "oming in so fast (that) some didnt ma e it out.:

:5 stayed till the last to res"ue people at the hall!: 'im told #/N. :=ut the water was "oming in so fast (that) some didnt ma e it out.: $ater temperatures! swift "urrents and low visi(ility appeared to (e "ompli"ating the massive res"ue operation! whi"h involved do-ens of South 'orean military divers! sailors! marines and poli"e offi"ers. /he ?.S. Navy ship ?SS =onhomme 8i"hard! on routine patrol in the area! dispat"hed its heli"opters to aid in the res"ue and was headed to the s"ene! the ?.S. Navy said. 0ivers from the South 'orean navy sear"hed three of the ships "ompartments (ut found no survivors or (odies! #onhap reported. Another dive team was e.pe"ted to "ontinue the sear"h shortly! the news agen"y said. At Ansan 0anwon 1igh S"hool! parents "lut"hed their "ell phones in an agoni-ing wait for a "all from their "hildren. )ffi"ials posted a list of names. )n"e a "onfirmation of a res"ue "ame! they "ir"led that name. At one point! the s"hool announ"ed that all students had (een res"ued (ut soon (a" tra" ed! to the parents wrath. $hat "ould have "aused the ship to sin so rapidly remained a mystery. /he weather was "lear at the time of the a""ident. >eter =oynton! a retired ?.S. Coast @uard "aptain! said the speed with whi"h the ship san suggested it had sustained Ama4or damage.B 1e also said that if the ferrys "ar de" had (een (rea"hed! it "ould have Cui" ly swamped the ship. =attling against dar ness! "old! swift "urrents and trying to find their way through a damaged! upturned ship! res"uers are Aup against every sort of o(sta"le!B said 0avid @allo! dire"tor of spe"ial pro4e"ts at the $oods 1ole )"eanographi" 5nstitution. :5ts 4ust an a(solutely! positively horrifi" situation!: he said. :5ts nightmarish.: Survivors tell of pani" on (oard as ferry tilts! then "apsi-es More on other ma4or ferry and ship sin ings Cargo ships "ollide outside of /o yo =ay >hilippines ferry disaster ills do-ens