Heart-wrenching text messages sent by students stuck in the capsized ferry have been shared with the public.
In one of the verified texts sent just minutes after the accident... a student writes of despair in the face of certain doom.
And in others, students exchange words of love.
Connie Lee has the details. At the time the ferry was sinking... students trapped inside the vessel sent text messages,... and most of them reveal fears that they might not make it out alive.
Students telling each other, "I love you" are seen throughout the exchange in one chatroom.
One student even writes... "I think we're really going to die" -- showing feelings of hopelessness, as the ship was listing.
In another chatroom of students... one passenger writes... "If I ever hurt you,... please forgive me"... and then ends... with "I love you."
It has yet to be confirmed... whether the students who sent these messages have survived.
Now an exchange between students and a teacher.
The students ask if the teacher is okay... and if he or she is wearing a life vest.
The teacher responds with exclamation points, "Yes " and tries to reassure the students... telling them to stay where they were and to put on a life vest.
The conversation ends... with words that possibly show a loss of hope among those on the ship.
They all tell each other "I love you" --- which may prove to be last messages they'll ever send.
A video taken by a cell phone also reveals... students staying put inside the ferry... when it started to capsize.
And stories from survivors... show desperate attempts to live --- with some passengers breaking through windows and jumping into the ocean to be rescued.
"I just jumped into the water and started swimming. It was really cold... so I tried to swim as fast as I could..."
"When the ship was completely listed, the water just rushed in. The water really came up to my face... not giving me any time to think."
But he was one of the lucky ones... who actually came out of this disaster alive.
Connie Lee, Arirang News.
