300 Sewol Ferry Passengers Remain Missing

Four people have been reported dead, and at least 164 have been brought to safety. The ferry sank rapidly and then capsized on South Korea's southwest coast. The exact number of passengers has not been confirmed.

The majority of travelers were Ansan Danwon High School teachers and pupils from Seoul. They were en route to the vacation island of Jeju, for a four-day stay. The ship plummeted within two hours of its first rescue call. It remains to be determined what caused the catastrophe. Search efforts include fishing boats, military vessels and helicopters.

Rescued student Lim Hyung Min jumped to safety and described to CNN: "I had to swim a bit to get to the boat to be rescued...The water was so cold and I wanted to live". Yellow Sea water temperatures are currently between 50 to 55 degrees Fahrenheit. Severe water conditions including temperature levels, hasty currents and small visibility have hampered the enormous search mission.

The cause of the sinkage and capsize remains in question. Clear weather prevailed at the time of the accident. According to CNN reports, retired U.S. Coast Guard Captain Peter Boynton explained that the ship's sinking speed, implied the structure had experienced "major damage".

Rescue workers are continuing to search in the dark, frigid, rapid currents. As Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution Director of Special Projects stated about the involved searchers, "...up against every sort of obstacle... It's just an absolutely, positively horrific situation...It's nightmarish".