Rescuers make contact with South Korean crew in capsized cargo ship off US coast

Officials cannot yet determine whether all four missing crew members are alive inside the hull of the vessel

The Golden Ray sits overturned off the US coast as the Coast Guard determines how to rescue four missing South Korean crew members stuck on the cargo ship. (AP)

Rescuers from the US Coast Guard made contact with the four missing South Korean crew members from a cargo ship that flipped on its side and caught fire as it left the Port of Brunswick, officials have said.

The crew members were stuck inside the overturned ship, according to Lieutenant Lloyd Heflin, who said rescuers drilled through the hull of the vessel and rappelled down its side in order to make contact.

“The early indication is they are on board and OK,” he said.

The initial rescue team has faced a language barrier in communication with the South Korean crew members, the official said. The US Coast Guard is currently trying to figure out the safest way of getting them out.

The ship, the The Golden Ray, flipped over on Sunday and caught fire as it left the port with more than 4,000 vehicles on board. It remains unclear whether all four of the crew members are alive.

They were in the engine room of the ship awaiting help from the US team, according to South Korea’s foreign ministry.

The ministry’s statement said there were 10 South Koreans, 13 Filipinos and a US harbour pilot aboard the ship when it began tilting in the shipping channel.

The US Coast Guard managed to rescue 20 people but the fire and the instability of the overturned vessel kept them from venturing deep inside.

The Coast Guard then sent a helicopter to land on the side of the ship in search of the missing crew members, who “apparently tapped back three times” when rescuers tapped on the hull, according to the ministry’s statement.

Rescuers could not immediately confirm the crew members were alive after hearing the noises from inside the hull.

The boat is used by Hyundai Glovis to ship Kia and Hyundai vehicles, along with other cars.

The vessel was reportedly headed to Baltimore to deliver the shipment of vehicles to the US.

The Associated Press contributed to this report