US rescues four trapped crew from stricken car carrier

The four seafarers that were unaccounted for after the car carrier Golden Ray capsized near Brunswick, Georgia, have been pulled to safety.

The U.S. Coast Guard and salvage crews extracted the four crew members on Monday in St. Simons Sound and transported them to Glenn County EMS for further medical evaluation.

After inspecting the vessel’s hull earlier on September 9, the salvage crews confirmed that the remaining four crew were still alive inside the Golden Ray and an extraction plan was developed to safely rescue them.

Three crew members were extracted from the vessel at around 3 p.m. (local time) and the fourth and final seafarer was extracted at 5:50 p.m.

The Port of Brunswick Captain of the Port (COTP) has established an emergency safety zone in St. Simons Sound. Vessels are not authorized within 5 miles of the Golden Ray, which is laid over on its side.

The operations have been completely shifted to environmental protection, removing the vessel safely and resuming commerce.

The South Korean car carrier started listing heavily after it became disabled on September 8. At the time, the 20,995 dwt Golden Ray was on bound for the Middle East with a cargo of about 4,000 cars