They're alive! Rescuers free 3 crew members from capsized cargo ship; 1 remains

They're alive! Rescuers free 3 crew members from capsized cargo ship; 1 remains
John Bacon Sep 9, 2019 https://eu.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2019/09/09/cargo-ship-rescue-s...

Rescuers searching an overturned cargo ship off the Georgia coast on Monday pulled three crew members to safety and were working on rescuing the remaining one.

The three South Koreans were plucked from a room in the hull near the ship’s propeller, said Coast Guard Lt. Lloyd Heflin, who’s coordinating the rescue. The fourth man is still trapped behind glass in the ship's engineering compartment.

The rescues capped a day of hope when it was learned the four were still alive.

Rescue efforts had been frustrated Sunday because of a fire on the unstable boat, Petty Officer Luke Clayton said. On Monday the ship had been stabilized and the fire doused. A helicopter landed on the side of the ship and a rescue team was back at work, Clayton said.

"They were able to drill a small hole in the hull," Clayton told USA TODAY. "They located all four of the missing crew members."

Clayton said the team had drilled a bigger hole to provide the trapped crew members with fresh air, food and water. A larger hole was then cut to extricate the crew. The effort was slowed because normal torches weren't used because of fear of sparking another fire, he said.

"@USCG and salvage crews are developing an extraction plan to safely rescue the 4 #GoldenRay crew members," the Coast Guard tweeted. "This is a slow, but safe process."

South Korea's foreign ministry said its government was sending its own rapid response team to the scene, the ministry said.

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The Golden Ray, loaded with thousands of vehicles, listed and tumbled in St. Simons Sound shortly after leaving Brunswick, Georgia, on Sunday bound for Baltimore. Twenty people were quickly rescued.

Ship owner Hyundai Glovis, based in South Korea, said the rescued crew included six Koreans, 13 Philippines nationals and an American harbor pilot.

The ship's command and chief engineer assisted authorities and salvage teams in stabilizing the ship so rescue efforts could continue, the Coast Guard said. Local first responders and towing groups also were aiding the effort.

The cause of the incident was under investigation. It was not clear whether weather conditions played a role. Hurricane Dorian brushed past the Georgia coast last week but was gone Sunday.

The port of Brunswick was closed to boat traffic, and a safety zone was established in the sound. Ships were not authorized within a half-mile of the Golden Ray.

The incident comes one week after a diving boat caught fire off California's Santa Cruz Island, killing 34 people.