The body of a high school student who made the first distress call from a sinking South Korean ferry was recovered from the submerged vessel on Thursday, news reports said.
The student, identified by his surname Choi, had called the emergency 119 number at 8:52am on Wednesday last week, three minutes before the crew of the 6,825 tonne Sewol sent their first distress signal.
His terrified message — “Save us. The ship is sinking” — has fuelled anger over the slow response of the Sewol´s captain and crew as the disaster unfolded.
The confirmed death toll stood at 162 on Thursday, with 140 still unaccounted for — their bodies believed trapped in the ship.
