Coast Guard Says ‘Made Contact’ With 4 Missing Golden Ray Crew Members ‘On Board & OK’

Sep 9, 2019

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ST. SIMONS, GA. (THECOUNT) — The U.S. Coast Guard is reporting Monday morning that rescuers have made contact with the four crew members trapped inside a rolled over cargo ship of the Georgia coast.

According to reports, rescuers drilled through the hull of the Golden Ray and “made contact” with the four missing crew members currently hold up inside.

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Lt. Lloyd Heflin told AP that the contact was made Monday morning after rescuers rappelled down the side of the ship.

Heflin says “the early indication is they are on board and OK,” reports NYPost.

He says the initial rescue team has faced a language barrier in communicating with the South Korean crew members. Heflin says rescuers are trying to figure out the safest way of getting them out.

The cargo vessel, Golden Ray, rolled over on its side on St. Simons Island, in St Simons, Georgia, according to the Coast Guard.

Golden Ray boasts a gross tonnage of 71178 and a deadweight of 20995 tons. Her overall length overall breadth extreme is 199.95m × 25.4m. The vessel was built in 2017.

USCGSoutheast via Twitter:

“@USCGSoutheast: #Update Evacuations of the Golden Ray’s crew continue. All vessel traffic in the Port of Brunswick is currently suspended unless approved by the @USCG Captain of the Port. #HappeningNow”

Crews have arrived and they evacuated all crew members, reports ActionNewsJax.

DEVELOPING::

Geo quick facts: St. Simons is an island off the Georgia coast. It’s known for its salt marshes and sandy stretches like East Beach. A museum traces the history of St. Simons Lighthouse, rebuilt in 1872 after it was destroyed in the Civil War. Anglers fish off nearby St. Simons Pier, which offers views of Jekyll Island and migrating whales. North, boats travel to Little St. Simons Island, home to birds like spoonbills and gannets – wikipedia.