‘Please hurry’ – transcript of sinking ferry’s desperate calls released
CNN Staff
Updated
6:05 AM EDT, Mon April 21, 2014
(CNN) —
The following is a partial transcript of communication between an unidentified crew member aboard the sinking South Korean ferry Sewol and local maritime traffic control centers on Wednesday.
The discussion lasts more than 30 minutes. For the first 11 minutes the Sewol communicates with the Jeju Vessel Traffic Services Center. After that, the ship communicates with the Jindo Vessel Traffic Services Center. There are references to other nearby ships, which are redacted.
The transcript, translated by CNN, was provided by the South Korean government. Due to static, CNN could not hear parts of the audio recording to corroborate the transcript.
8:55 a.m.
South Korean ferry sinks —
A relative of a victim weeps as she and others stand on the deck of a boat during a visit to the site of the sunken Sewol ferry on April 15, 2015 -- one day before the one year anniversary of the disaster.
PHOTO:
Ed Jones - Pool/Getty Images
South Korean ferry sinks —
A relative hands out flowers to others on the deck of a boat during a visit to the site of the sunken ferry. More than 100 relatives of victims of South Korea's Sewol ferry disaster tearfully cast flowers into the sea.
PHOTO:
ED JONES/AFP/Getty Images
South Korean ferry sinks —
A man hold a flower as he stands on the deck of a boat during a visit to the site of the sunken Sewol ferry, off the coast of South Korea's southern island of Jindo.
PHOTO:
ED JONES/AFP/Getty Images
South Korean ferry sinks —
The mother of Sewol ferry disaster victim, Danwon High School student Lim Kyung-Bin, attends a rally to pay tribute to the victims of the ferry disaster on April 11, 2015, Seoul, South Korea.
PHOTO:
Chung Sung-Jun/Getty Image
South Korean ferry sinks —
Relatives of victims of the Sewol ferry disaster march across a bridge over the Han river in Seoul on April 5, 2015. More than 200 people participated in the march from Ansan city. Many of them were the parents of the 250 students who died when the overloaded ferry sank off Jindo on April 16, 2014.
PHOTO:
ED JONES/AFP/Getty Images
South Korean ferry sinks —
Relatives of victims of the Sewol ferry hold portraits of victims during a rally on April 5, 2015 in Seoul. Relatives, students and citizens attended the vigil to pay tribute to the victims of the ferry disaster and demanded that the wreckage be salvaged.
PHOTO:
Chung Sung-Jun/Getty Images
South Korean ferry sinks —
Sewol ferry captain Lee Joon-Seok was acquitted of murder, avoiding a death sentence, but was sentenced to 36 years in jail on November 11 for his role in the maritime disaster that killed more than 300.
PHOTO:
Wonsuk Choi/AFP/Getty Images
South Korean ferry sinks —
Shoes believed to belong to the missing and the deceased are on display at the harbor.
PHOTO:
K.J. Kwon
South Korean ferry sinks —
Jindo harbor, where the search operation is based, has become a memorial for those who lost their lives. Yellow ribbons and photos are displayed as people come to pay their respects.
PHOTO:
K.J. Kwon
South Korean ferry sinks —
A joint government-civilian task force is still looking for the missing, but winter is fast approaching.
PHOTO:
K.J. Kwon
South Korean ferry sinks —
Ten are still missing from tragic ferry sinking last April, which killed more than 300. Six months later, families are still waiting for their loved ones to be found. The parents of 16-year-old Huh Da-yoon, pictured, are among them.
PHOTO:
K.J. Kwon
South Korean ferry sinks —
The families of the ten who remain missing have been waiting in Jindo Indoor Gymnasium since the first day. Families can watch search mission in real time on a large monitor in the gym.
PHOTO:
K.J. Kwon
South Korean ferry sinks —
South Korean President Park Geun-hye weeps while delivering a speech to the nation about the sunken ferry Sewol at the presidential Blue House in Seoul, South Korea, on Monday, May 19. More than 200 bodies have been found and nearly 100 people remain missing after the ferry sank April 16 off South Korea's southwest coast.
PHOTO:
Do Kwang-hwan/Yonhap/Ap
South Korean ferry sinks —
Police in Seoul detain a protester during a march Saturday, May 17, for victims of the Sewol.
PHOTO:
YANG JI-WOONG/epa/LANDOV
South Korean ferry sinks —
A girl in Seoul holds a candle during a service paying tribute to the victims of the Sewol on Wednesday, April 30.
PHOTO:
Ahn Young-joon/AP
South Korean ferry sinks —
People pay tribute to victims at a memorial altar in Ansan, South Korea, on Tuesday, April 29.
PHOTO:
Chung Sung-Jun/Getty Images
South Korean ferry sinks —
A police officer holds an umbrella for a relative of a missing ferry passenger Monday, April 28, in Jindo, South Korea.
PHOTO:
Ahn Young-joon/AP
South Korean ferry sinks —
South Korean Buddhists carry lanterns in a parade in Seoul on Saturday, April 26, to honor the memory of the dead and the safe return of the missing.
South Korean ferry sinks —
Divers search for people in the waters near Jindo on April 26.
PHOTO:
Yonhap/AP
South Korean ferry sinks —
People in Ansan attend a memorial for the victims on April 26.
PHOTO:
NICOLAS ASFOURI/AFP/Getty Images
South Korean ferry sinks —
A diver jumps into the sea near the sunken ferry on Friday, April 25.
PHOTO:
Yonhap/AP
South Korean ferry sinks —
A relative of a passenger weeps while waiting for news of his missing loved one at a port in Jindo on April 25.
PHOTO:
Ahn Young-joon/AP
South Korean ferry sinks —
People attend a memorial for the victims at the Olympic Memorial Hall in Ansan on Thursday, April 24.
PHOTO:
KIM DOO-HO/AFP/Getty Images
South Korean ferry sinks —
Yellow ribbons honoring the victims flap in the wind as a hearse carrying a victim's body leaves Danwon High School in Ansan on April 24. Most of the people on board the ferry were high school students on their way to the resort island of Jeju.
PHOTO:
Lee Jin-man/AP
South Korean ferry sinks —
People attend a memorial for the victims at Olympic Memorial Hall in Ansan.
PHOTO:
KIM DOO-HO/AFP/Getty Images
South Korean ferry sinks —
Search personnel dive into the sea on Wednesday, April 23.
PHOTO:
Yonhap/AP
South Korean ferry sinks —
Flares light up the search area on Tuesday, April 22.
PHOTO:
ED JONES/AFP/Getty Images
South Korean ferry sinks —
The sun sets over the site of the sunken ferry on April 22.
PHOTO:
ED JONES/AFP/Getty Images
South Korean ferry sinks —
A relative of a ferry passenger prays as she waits for news in Jindo on April 22.
PHOTO:
Ahn Young-joon/AP
South Korean ferry sinks —
The search for victims continues April 22 in the waters of the Yellow Sea.
PHOTO:
YONHAP/EPA/LANDOV
South Korean ferry sinks —
Rescue workers in Jindo carry the body of a passenger on Monday, April 21.
PHOTO:
Chung Sung-Jun/Getty Images
South Korean ferry sinks —
Divers jump into the water on April 21 to search for passengers near the buoys that mark the site of the sunken ferry.
PHOTO:
Yonhap/aP
South Korean ferry sinks —
Search operations continue as flares illuminate the scene near Jindo on Sunday, April 20.
PHOTO:
Yonhap/AP
South Korean ferry sinks —
Relatives of missing passengers grieve April 20 in Jindo.
PHOTO:
Chung Sung-Jun/Getty Images
South Korean ferry sinks —
Relatives of passengers look out at the sea from Jindo on April 20.
PHOTO:
Lee Jin-man/AP
South Korean ferry sinks —
Police officers in Jindo stand guard Saturday, April 19, to prevent relatives of the ferry's missing passengers from jumping in the water. Some relatives said they will swim to the shipwreck site and find their missing family members by themselves.
PHOTO:
Ahn Young-joon/AP
South Korean ferry sinks —
Family members of missing passengers hug as they await news of their missing relatives at Jindo Gymnasium on April 19.
PHOTO:
KIMIMASA MAYAMA/EPA /LANDOV
South Korean ferry sinks —
South Korean Navy Ship Salvage Unit members prepare to salvage the sunken ferry and search for missing people on April 19.
PHOTO:
KIMIMASA MAYAMA/EPA /LANDOV
South Korean ferry sinks —
Lee Joon Suk, the captain of the Sewol, is escorted to the court that issued his arrest warrant Friday, April 18, in Mokpo, South Korea.
PHOTO:
Yonhap/AP
South Korean ferry sinks —
A woman cries as she waits for news on missing passengers April 18 in Jindo.
PHOTO:
Chung Sung-Jun/Getty Images
South Korean ferry sinks —
A searchlight illuminates the capsized ferry on Thursday, April 17.
PHOTO:
Yonhap/AP
South Korean ferry sinks —
A woman cries during a candlelight vigil at Danwon High School in Ansan, South Korea, on April 17.
PHOTO:
Wonghae Cho/AP
South Korean ferry sinks —
Family members of passengers aboard the sunken ferry gather at a gymnasium in Jindo on April 17.
PHOTO:
Ahn Young-joon/AP
South Korean ferry sinks —
The body of a victim is moved at a hospital in Mokpo on April 17.
PHOTO:
Yonhap/AP
South Korean ferry sinks —
Relatives of a passenger cry at a port in Jindo on April 17 as they wait for news on the rescue operation.
PHOTO:
Ahn Young-joon/AP
South Korean ferry sinks —
South Korean coast guard members and rescue teams search for passengers at the site of the sunken ferry on April 17.
PHOTO:
Chung Sung-Jun/Getty Images
South Korean ferry sinks —
A relative of a passenger cries as she waits for news on Wednesday, April 16.
PHOTO:
Ahn Young-joon/AP
South Korean ferry sinks —
Relatives check a list of survivors April 16 in Jindo.
PHOTO:
Chung Sung-Jun/Getty Images
South Korean ferry sinks —
Rescue crews attempt to save passengers from the ferry on April 16.
PHOTO:
Republic of Korea Coast Guard/Getty Images
South Korean ferry sinks —
A relative waits for a missing loved one at the port in Jindo.
PHOTO:
Ahn Young-joon/AP
South Korean ferry sinks —
Parents at Danwon High School search for names of their children among the list of survivors. Ansan is a suburb of Seoul, the South Korean capital.
PHOTO:
Ahn Young-joon/AP
South Korean ferry sinks —
Helicopters hover over the ferry as rescue operations continue April 16.
PHOTO:
Yonhap/AP
South Korean ferry sinks —
Officials escort rescued passengers April 16 in Jindo.
PHOTO:
Park Chul-heung/Yonhap/AP
South Korean ferry sinks —
A passenger is helped onto a rescue boat on April 16.
PHOTO:
The Republic of Korea Coast Guard/Getty Images
South Korean ferry sinks —
A passenger is rescued from the sinking ship on April 16.
PHOTO:
Republic of Korea Coast Guard/Getty Images
South Korean ferry rescue operation
Sewol: Harbor affairs Jeju, do you have reception of Sewol?
Sewol: Harbor Affairs Jeju, do you have reception of Sewol?
Jeju Vessel Traffic Services Center: Yes, this is Harbor Affairs Jeju, Sewol.
Sewol: What’s going on with the coast guard?
Jeju Vessel Traffic Services Center: Yes, we just notified the coast guard. We are in the middle of conversation with Jindo VTS and Wando VTS. So please hold for a moment.
(The vessel then speaks with the communications tower at a closer location, in Jindo.)
9:06 a.m.
Jindo Vessel Traffic Services Center: Sewol do you copy? Sewol do you copy? …Sewol, Sewol, this is Jindo VTS.
9:07 a.m.
…
Sewol: Jindo VTS, this is Sewol.
Jindo Vessel Traffic Services Center:Sewol, this is Jindo VTS. Are you sinking?
Sewol: Yes. (We are sinking.) Please send the coast guard as soon as possible.
Jindo Vessel Traffic Services Center: This is Jindo VTS.
Sewol: Our ship is listing and may fall.
Jindo Vessel Traffic Services Center: How are the passengers doing?…
9:12 a.m.
Jindo Vessel Traffic Services Center: Sewol, this is Jindo VTS. Did the passengers board life raft or rescue boats?
Sewol: No, they haven’t yet. They can’t move because the vessel has listed.
9:13 a.m.
Jindo Vessel Traffic Services Center: How many passengers?
Sewol: There are 450. About 500… Please hurry up.
9:14 a.m.
Jindo Vessel Traffic Services Center: We are reaching out to nearby fishing boats. …Please approach as quick as possible. Please actively cooperate in rescue operation. …Are the passengers able to escape?
Sewol: The ship listed too much so it is impossible.
9:17 a.m.
Jindo Vessel Traffic Services Center: Sewol, this is Jindo VTS, do you copy? How is the flooded condition?
Sewol: It is listed more than 50 degrees to the port side and people are not able to move from left to right. We’ve alerted the crew members to wear life jacket and wait. It is impossible to confirm whether or not they wore (life jackets). Crew members are at the bridge and are unable to move. Please hurry.
9:18 a.m.
Jindo Vessel Traffic Services Center: Roger that. How is the flooded situation?
Sewol: It cannot be confirmed either. We confirmed that several containers on the deck fell, but because we cannot move, we cannot move even by one step from the bridge, we are able to stand by holding onto the wall.
…
9:23 a.m.
…
Jindo Vessel Traffic Services Center: Patrol boat ETA is 15 minutes. Please broadcast and tell the passengers to wear life jackets.
Sewol: We are unable to broadcast.
9:24 a.m.
Jindo Vessel Traffic Services Center: Even if you can’t broadcast, please send someone to inform the passengers to wear life jacket or thick clothes.
Sewol: If passengers escape from the ship, will they be rescued immediately?
Jindo Vessel Traffic Services Center: Dispatch the lift ring. Quickly!
9:25 a.m.
Jindo Vessel Traffic Services Center: The captain should make decision to make people escape. We do not know the situation so captain make final decision on passengers’ escape.
9:26 a.m.
Sewol: That’s not what I meant. If passengers escape, can they be immediately rescued?
Jindo Vessel Traffic Services Center: Patrol ship should arrive in 10 minutes.
Jindo Vessel Traffic Services Center: Sewol, a helicopter will arrive in one minute.
Sewol: I can’t hear very well. Please repeat again clearly.
Jindo Vessel Traffic Services Center: A helicopter will arrive in one minute.
Sewol: Repeat what you just said.
Jindo Vessel Traffic Services Center: A helicopter will arrive soon.
9:28 a.m.
Sewol: There are too many passengers. A helicopter may not be enough.
9:37 a.m.
Jindo Vessel Traffic Services Center: Sewol, Sewol, this is Jindo VTS.
Sewol: This is Sewol. Sewol.
Jindo Vessel Traffic Services Center: What’s the flood situation like?
Sewol: It is not possible to confirm the flood situation. Coast guards and fishing ships approached by 50 meters and those who are on the port side escaped. We sent out broadcast and it is not easy to move toward the port side.
Jindo Vessel Traffic Services Center: Copy that.
Sewol: The ship is listed 60 degrees to the port side. Now there are aircraft and coast guards.
