Thoughts and Prayers

[Unkotare]

For the victims, the missing, and their families. A terrible disaster.

The Chosun Ilbo (English Edition): Daily News from Korea - Ferry with 470 Passengers Sinks off Southwest Coast


"A 6,852-ton passenger ship sent distress call in waters off Jindo, South Jeolla Province on Wednesday morning.

The ferry left Incheon at 8.30 p.m. on Tuesday and was heading to the southern resort island of Jeju, carrying over 470 passengers including 325 youngsters on a school trip."

Take a moment to keep these folks in your thoughts and to hope for more survivors.

 

[bianco]

Indeed.

The cruel sea strikes again.
Ferries, cruise ships sinking everywhere...best to stay out of the oceans.

 

[Moon968]

These are the good thoughts and should be work on it.

 

[waltky]

Trapped in the hull of ferry, some survivors may still be alive...

Survivors still alive on South Korean ferry: father
Wed Apr 16, 2014 - Several people appear to have survived in an air pocket of a capsized South Korean ferry, the father of one of the school children aboard the boat told a Reuters reporter accompanying families out to the scene of the disaster on Thursday.

About 290 people are still missing out of 450 passengers on the Sewol ferry, which capsized in still-mysterious circumstances off the Korean peninsula on Wednesday in what could be the country's worst maritime accident in 20 years. Many of the passengers were school children from one high school on the outskirts of Seoul. "(The child) told me in the text message, 'I am alive, there are students alive, please save us quickly," the father said. Coastguard and navy divers resumed searching on Thursday after the ferry capsized in sight of land on a trip from the port city of Incheon to the holiday island of Jeju, about 100 km (60 miles) south of the peninsula.

Grieving family members gathered early on Thursday on the quay of the coastal city of Jindo, huddled in blankets against the spring cold as efforts to find the missing went into a second day. One parent, Park Yung-suk, told Reuters she had seen the body of her teenage daughter's teacher brought ashore earlier in the morning. "If I could teach myself to dive, I would jump in the water and try to find my daughter," Park said as light rain fell. So far 179 people have been rescued and six confirmed dead. As coastguard officials arrived at Jindo on Thursday, waiting relatives jeered at them, shouting: "The weather's nice, why aren't you starting the rescue."

It is not known why the 6,586 metric ton vessel, built in Japan 20 years ago, sank. Nautical charts of the wider area show reefs and shallow waters, although one government official appeared to discount the possibility the ship had hit a rock. It was not immediately clear why the Sewol ferry had listed heavily onto its side in apparently calm waters off South Korea's southwest coast, but some survivors spoke of a loud noise prior to the disaster. There were reports of the ferry having veered off course, but coordinates of the site of the accident provided by port authorities indicated it was not far off the regular shipping lane.

The ferry sent a distress signal early on Wednesday, the coastguard said, triggering a rescue operation that involved almost 100 coastguard and navy vessels and fishing boats, as well as 18 helicopters. According to public shipping databases, the registered owner of the ship is Chonghaejin Marine Co Ltd, based in Incheon. Reuters was unable to reach the company by phone. Earlier, in a statement read out to local media, a company official offered an apology over the accident but declined to comment further. The databases showed that Chonghaejin Marine Co Ltd became the owner of the vessel in October, 2012.

Survivors still alive on South Korean ferry: father | Reuters

 

[CaféAuLait]

Trapped in the hull of ferry, some survivors may still be alive...

Survivors still alive on South Korean ferry: father
Wed Apr 16, 2014 - Several people appear to have survived in an air pocket of a capsized South Korean ferry, the father of one of the school children aboard the boat told a Reuters reporter accompanying families out to the scene of the disaster on Thursday.

About 290 people are still missing out of 450 passengers on the Sewol ferry, which capsized in still-mysterious circumstances off the Korean peninsula on Wednesday in what could be the country's worst maritime accident in 20 years. Many of the passengers were school children from one high school on the outskirts of Seoul. "(The child) told me in the text message, 'I am alive, there are students alive, please save us quickly," the father said. Coastguard and navy divers resumed searching on Thursday after the ferry capsized in sight of land on a trip from the port city of Incheon to the holiday island of Jeju, about 100 km (60 miles) south of the peninsula.

Grieving family members gathered early on Thursday on the quay of the coastal city of Jindo, huddled in blankets against the spring cold as efforts to find the missing went into a second day. One parent, Park Yung-suk, told Reuters she had seen the body of her teenage daughter's teacher brought ashore earlier in the morning. "If I could teach myself to dive, I would jump in the water and try to find my daughter," Park said as light rain fell. So far 179 people have been rescued and six confirmed dead. As coastguard officials arrived at Jindo on Thursday, waiting relatives jeered at them, shouting: "The weather's nice, why aren't you starting the rescue."

It is not known why the 6,586 metric ton vessel, built in Japan 20 years ago, sank. Nautical charts of the wider area show reefs and shallow waters, although one government official appeared to discount the possibility the ship had hit a rock. It was not immediately clear why the Sewol ferry had listed heavily onto its side in apparently calm waters off South Korea's southwest coast, but some survivors spoke of a loud noise prior to the disaster. There were reports of the ferry having veered off course, but coordinates of the site of the accident provided by port authorities indicated it was not far off the regular shipping lane.

The ferry sent a distress signal early on Wednesday, the coastguard said, triggering a rescue operation that involved almost 100 coastguard and navy vessels and fishing boats, as well as 18 helicopters. According to public shipping databases, the registered owner of the ship is Chonghaejin Marine Co Ltd, based in Incheon. Reuters was unable to reach the company by phone. Earlier, in a statement read out to local media, a company official offered an apology over the accident but declined to comment further. The databases showed that Chonghaejin Marine Co Ltd became the owner of the vessel in October, 2012.

Survivors still alive on South Korean ferry: father | Reuters

This is so sad, I'm reading the texts this kids have been texting. One in particular struck me.

He texted a childhood friend, and said "I think we are all dying here, I wanted to apologize to you if I ever hurt you, please for give me.. I love all of you"- not verbatim but close to how I recall it.

I just read only one life boat was deployed out of 46 if I recall the number correctly.

 

[Sallow]

My girlfriend just did a trip to Korea and was on that boat going to Jindo Island (My dog is a Jindo).

This is shocking and sad. I only hope they turn up more survivors.

 

[Unkotare]

Abe offers sympathy, help to S Korea over ferry disaster ? Japan Today: Japan News and Discussion

 

[emilynghiem]

My girlfriend just did a trip to Korea and was on that boat going to Jindo Island (My dog is a Jindo).

This is shocking and sad. I only hope they turn up more survivors.

I hope your avatar isn't your dog!

My prayers to all the families going through this
in addition to the ones still waiting on the jetliner recovery.

A wise Buddhist once said the more compassion we have and less ill will we circulate,
the fewer disasters we will see, either natural or manmade.

More love, more peace, more unity in spirit.

 

[Unkotare]

My girlfriend just did a trip to Korea and was on that boat going to Jindo Island (My dog is a Jindo).

This is shocking and sad. I only hope they turn up more survivors.

I hope your avatar isn't your dog!

That is definitely not what a Jindo looks like!

 

[Book of Jeremiah]

My prayers go out to all the families. I pray they find more survivors.

 

[waltky]

Ferry-boat captain apologizes...

Questions mount in South Korean ferry disaster; hundreds still missing
Thu April 17, 2014 ~ Coast Guard: The official death toll now stands at 25 people; Captain faces questions amid reports ferry may have been off course, turned quickly; Authorities are working on the assumption that survivors are still in the ship, police chief says; But bad weather, murky water and darkness have hindered the rescue operation

Anguished relatives of missing South Korean ferry passengers waited for answers Thursday as rescuers fought bad weather, murky water, darkness and time to find a way deep into the capsized ship. Authorities believe 276 people -- many of them high school students on a field trip -- may remain trapped inside the five-story ship. At least some, authorities say, could still be alive more than a day after the ship rolled over. Meanwhile, the ferry's captain is facing mounting questions about the incident.

Among other things, authorities are investigating the possibility the ship was off course when it ran into trouble, reports that few of its lifeboats made it into the water and reports that the captain was among the first to escape, according to Kim Soo Hyeon, the chief of South Korea's Yellow Sea Maritime Police Agency. "After further investigation, when we have a result, we will make a report," Kim said.

Ferry captain Lee Joon Suk, his head and face covered, broke down in tears when reporters asked if he had anything to say. "I am sorry, I am at a loss for words," Lee said at a South Korean Coast Guard office. At least 25 people are known dead, according to the coast guard. As of Thursday night, at least 179 had been rescued.

Weather hinders rescue

 

[bianco]

My girlfriend just did a trip to Korea and was on that boat going to Jindo Island (My dog is a Jindo).

This is shocking and sad. I only hope they turn up more survivors.

I hope your avatar isn't your dog!

My prayers to all the families going through this
in addition to the ones still waiting on the jetliner recovery.

A wise Buddhist once said the more compassion we have and less ill will we circulate,
the fewer disasters we will see, either natural or manmade.

More love, more peace, more unity in spirit.

Tried that, it didn't work out;

London was blown up
NYC was blown up, twice
Boston was blown up
Bali Indonesia was blown up twice
Madrid was blown up

...and anti-Western/anti-Christian hate preachers were basically allowed to say and do whatever they liked.

 

[waltky]

Race against elements and time...

Divers struggle in search for South Korean ferry survivors
Thu Apr 17, 2014 - Rescuers struggled with strong waves and murky waters on Thursday as they searched for hundreds of people, most of them teenagers from the same school, still missing after a South Korean ferry capsized on Wednesday.

Coastguard, navy and private divers scoured the site of the accident, about 20 km (12 miles) off the country's southwestern coast. Earlier, rescue teams hammered on the hull of the upturned, mostly submerged vessel, hoping for a response from anyone trapped inside, but they heard nothing, local media reported.

The vessel, carrying 475 passengers and crew, capsized during a journey from the port of Incheon to the holiday island of Jeju. Coastguards recovered five more bodies late on Thursday, raising the death toll to 14 people. Another 179 passengers have been rescued, leaving 282 unaccounted for and possibly trapped in the vessel.

One parent, Park Yung-suk, told Reuters at the port of Jindo, where rescue efforts are centered, that she had seen the body of her teenage daughter's teacher brought ashore. "If I could teach myself to dive, I would jump in the water and try to find my daughter," she said. Her daughter was one of 340 children and teachers from the Danwon High School in Ansan, a Seoul suburb, on board the vessel.

The captain of the ship, Lee Joon-seok, 69, faces a criminal investigation, coastguard officials said, amid unconfirmed reports that he was one of the first to jump to safety from the stricken vessel. One official said authorities were investigating whether the captain had indeed abandoned the vessel early and one of the charges he faced was violating a law that governs the conduct of shipping crew.

SHALLOW WATERS, BUT DANGEROUS

 

[Unkotare]

Captain of the ferry to be arrested. Vice Principal of the school many of the victims attended commits suicide.

Just keeps becoming more and more tragic.

 

[Moonglow]

survivors guilt,,,

 

[waltky]

Novice 'steered South Korea ferry'...

South Korea ferry 'steered by inexperienced third mate'
9 April 2014 ~ The South Korean ferry that sank on Wednesday was steered by an inexperienced third mate who had never navigated the challenging waters where the accident occurred, prosecutors say.

The third mate is in custody along with the captain and another crew member. Coastguards confirmed on Saturday that divers had retrieved three bodies from the ferry, bringing the number of confirmed dead to 36. Some 174 passengers have been rescued, with another 266 still missing. Recovery operations may take two months, officials say, as the divers battle strong currents and poor visibility to reach the sunken vessel. "Divers broke through the window of a passenger cabin... and pulled out three bodies," a coastguard official told the AFP news agency on Saturday. All three were wearing lifejackets, he added. The Sewol, carrying 476 passengers and crew, capsized during a journey from the port of Incheon in the north-west to the southern holiday island of Jeju. Ferry captain Lee Joon-seok, 69 - who was not initially on the bridge - faces charges including negligence of duty and violation of maritime law.

'Unfamiliar' waters

Late on Saturday prosecutors said that the third mate had been steering the ferry in waters that were unfamiliar to her. Asked how long the rescue operation was likely to continue, Shin Won-nam, the head of the Emergency Management Centre, told reporters that it could take weeks, if not months. "We are not sure about it. But according to the experts, the rescue may last one or two months," he said. He added that it was very unlikely someone trapped alive after the sinking could survive if it took this long.

Relatives have begun providing DNA samples to help identify the dead. Investigations are focusing on a sharp turn the vessel took before it started listing and whether an evacuation order could have saved lives. Footage from the ship appeared to show instructions from crew members for passengers to remain on board even as it tilted dramatically to one side. Mr Lee says he delayed the evacuation, fearing passengers would "drift away". He was shown on television on Saturday following his arrest. "I am sorry to the people of South Korea for causing a disturbance and I bow my head in apology to the families of the victims," he said.

Some experts believe the ship's tight turn could have dislodged heavy cargo and destabilised the vessel, while others suggest the sinking could have been caused by a collision with a rock. Messages and phone calls from those inside painted a picture of people trapped in crowded corridors, unable to escape the sharply-listing ferry. Officials say air has been pumped into the ship to aid any people trapped inside and to help refloat the vessel. But they say cranes at the site will not be used until they are certain no-one inside is alive.

Nets around ferry

See also:

Ferry Pilot Was Negotiating Perilous Waterway for First Time, Prosecutors Say
APRIL 19, 2014 — A 26-year-old third mate was steering a South Korean ferry through a notoriously treacherous waterway for the first time when it tilted and sank, prosecutors said on Saturday, as rescuers raced against time to find any survivors among the 266 missing passengers, many of them believed to have been trapped inside the capsized vessel.

Questions about the qualifications of the third mate, Park Han-gyeol, mounted on Saturday, after investigators revealed that the ship’s captain, Lee Jun-seok, 69, was in his quarters, leaving Ms. Park in charge of the bridge when the ferry was negotiating the waterway 11 miles from Jindo Island. For ages, the 3.7-mile-long, 2.8-mile-wide Maenggol Waterway has provided a shortcut for ships that try to save fuel or time navigating waters dotted with islets off the southwestern tip of the Korean Peninsula. But the channel also has a reputation for having one of the most rapid and unpredictable currents around the peninsula. “It was her first time steering the ship through the Maenggol Waterway,” said Yang Joong-jin, a senior prosecutor who is part of the government’s investigation. “There is nothing legally wrong with that. But it does give us important data on how well qualified she was.” Ms. Park ended up in command of the ship by chance.

The three regular mates on the 6,825-ton car ferry, the Sewol, worked on a fixed rotation of four-hour shifts, with Ms. Park on duty at the bridge from 8 a.m. to noon. The ship had been scheduled to leave Incheon, a port west of Seoul, at 6:30 p.m. on Tuesday with 476 people on board, including 325 second-year high school students headed for a field trip on the southern island of Jeju. Ms. Park had been working aboard the ferry on the Incheon-Jeju route for six months. But the ship’s departure was delayed by two and a half hours because of heavy fog. Had it left on time, the ship would have passed the spot where it foundered and sank half an hour before Ms. Park’s shift was to have started. Ms. Park was unavailable for comment. She was arrested Saturday, along with the captain and a helmsman who was also on duty with Ms. Park. They face criminal charges of abandoning their ship and passengers during a crisis, accidental homicide, or both.

The factors that led to Ms. Park’s being in charge while the ferry plied the Maenggol Waterway may provide another piece of the puzzle investigators are putting together. Ever since the ship capsized on Wednesday morning, investigators have worked to unravel the mysteries surrounding one of South Korea’s worst peacetime disasters, especially the question of why the ship suddenly tilted as it passed a curve in the shipping lane. On Saturday, navy divers struggled to enter the ship for a fourth straight day. Many of the survivors have said a large number of passengers were probably trapped inside the overturned and sunken ship, partly because they had been advised by the ship’s crew to stay put even while the ship was tilting dangerously. “The chances of anyone surviving in there depend on many factors, such as the water temperature and individual conditions,” said Ko Myong-seok, a senior Coast Guard officer involved in rescue operations.

MORE

 

[Vikrant]

My prayers are with the victims.

 

[waltky]

Bridge black box found...

Transcript reveals confusion over ferry evacuation
20 Apr.`14 — The South Korean ferry that sank was crippled by confusion and indecision well after it began listing, a radio transcript released Sunday showed, suggesting the chaotic situation may have added to a death toll that could eventually exceed 300.

About 30 minutes after the Sewol began tilting, a crew member asked a marine traffic controller whether passengers would be rescued if they abandoned ship off South Korea's southern coast. The crew member posed the question three times in succession. That followed several statements from the ship that people aboard could not move and another in which someone declared that it was "impossible to broadcast" instructions.

Many people followed the captain's initial order to stay below deck, where it is feared they remain trapped. Sixty-one bodies have been recovered, and about 240 people are still missing. "Even if it's impossible to broadcast, please go out and let the passengers wear life jackets and put on more clothing," an unidentified official at Jindo Vessel Traffic Services Center urged at 9:24 a.m. Wednesday, 29 minutes after the ferry first reported trouble, according to the transcript released by South Korea's coast guard. "If this ferry evacuates passengers, will you be able to rescue them?" the unidentified crew member asked. "At least make them wear life rings and make them escape!" the traffic-center official responded. "If this ferry evacuates passengers, will they be rescued right away?" the crew member asked again. "Don't let them go bare — at least make them wear life rings and make them escape!" the traffic official repeated. "The rescue of human lives from the Sewol ferry ... the captain should make his own decision and evacuate them. We don't know the situation very well. The captain should make the final decision and decide whether you're going to evacuate passengers or not." "I'm not talking about that," the crew member said. "I asked, if they evacuate now, can they be rescued right away?"

The traffic official then said patrol boats would arrive in 10 minutes, though another civilian ship was already nearby and had told controllers that it would rescue anyone who went overboard. The ferry sank with 476 people on board, many of them students from a single high school. The cause of the disaster is not yet known, but prosecutors have said the ship made a sharp turn before it began to list. Several crew members, including the captain, have been arrested on suspicion of negligence and abandoning passengers.

More Transcript reveals confusion over ferry evacuation

See also:

Transcript: Passengers couldn't escape South Korean ferry, crew member says
Sun April 20, 2014 ~ At least 62 bodies have been found, the coast guard says; 240 people are still missing; 174 have been rescued; Searcher to CNN affiliate: Divers are feeling their way in the dark; State of emergency declared in two cities affected by the tragedy

Passengers aboard the doomed South Korean ferry couldn't reach lifeboats to escape because the ship tilted so quickly that it left many of them unable to move, according to a radio transcript released Sunday. "Please notify the coast guard. Our ship is in danger. The ship is rolling right now," a crew member on the ship first tells authorities in a dramatic conversation that took place while the Sewol ferry was sinking.

An unidentified crew member on the Sewol talked to two different Vessel Traffic Service centers as the ship sank Wednesday morning, the transcript revealed. Someone on the ship contacted the traffic service in Jeju -- the ferry's destination -- at 8:55 a.m. and communicated with it before the conversation switched to Jindo VTS, which was closer, about 11 minutes later. "The ship rolled over a lot right now. Cannot move. Please come quickly," the crew member says a minute after initial contact.

At one point Jeju advises the crew to get people into life vests. "It is hard for people to move," Sewol replies. After the conversation switches to the traffic service in Jindo, the Sewol crew member says several times that the ship is leaning too much for passengers to move.

Sewol: "Our ship is listing and may capsize."
Jindo VTS: "How are the passengers doing? ..."
Sewol: "It's too listed that they are not able to move."
A short time later, another exchange takes place:
Jindo VTS: "Are the passengers able to escape?"
Sewol: "The ship listed too much, so it is impossible." The transcript may help answer one of the major questions about the capsizing: Why didn't more passengers escape on lifeboats?

Many missing, scores killed

 

[AquaAthena]

 

[Pop23]

Deeply sad

So many young souls lost

Watching the parents waiting and knowing that every moment is a moment closer to knowing they'll not hug them again. Hugged my kids extra hard today.