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A relative of a missing student awaits details today. Woohae CHOWoohae Cho/AP/Press Association Images

'Mom, I love you': The heartwrenching text messages sent from South Korea's sinking ferry

About 287 people are still missing.

“SENDING THIS IN case I may not be able to say this again. Mom, I love you.”

That was just one of many text messages sent by passengers on a sinking ferry in South Korea yesterday.

Shin Young-Jin was one of the lucky ones though. He escaped the tilted vessel and was reunited with his mother, who had texted him back to say, “Oh, I love you too son.”

Shin was one of 179 survivors rescued before the boat capsized and was submerged totally underwater.

There are fears for the lives of 287 people, including 244 students who were on a school trip to a nearby holiday island.

Kim Woong-Ki, who has not been found, sent a message to his older brother.

My room is tilting about 45 degrees. My mobile is not working very well.

His brother replied, telling him that help was on the way:

So don’t panic and just do whatever you’re told to do. Then you’ll be fine.

There was no further communication from Kim.

Another young student, identified by her surname Shin in local media reports, was trying to reassure her father about her own safety.

Dad, don’t worry. I’m wearing a life vest and am with other girls. We’re inside the ship, still in the hallway.

He did not like the sound of that plan, though, and urged her get out. It was too late.

Dad, I can’t. The ship is too tilted. The hallway is crowded with so many people.

The crew has been criticised for ordering passengers to stay put when the ship first foundered.

The JoongAng Ilbo also published excerpts from a chatroom conversation between several students on the ferry.

“Hey guys, let’s make sure we meet up alive,” messaged one. ”I love you all,” responded another.

It was not clear if the students were among those rescued.

Reporting by AFP

Read: Fears grow for hundreds missing after ferry sinks

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    Mute Joe Johnson
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    Dec 18th 2020, 4:02 PM

    About time Arlene upped her game.

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    Mute Gary Garden
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    Dec 18th 2020, 4:30 PM

    @Joe Johnson: The only thing Arlene will be upping is the size of her apple catchers.

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    Mute Richard Mccarthy
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    Dec 19th 2020, 1:29 AM

    @Joe Johnson: I wouldn’t get all smug if I were you the Republic is just a short distance down the road from NI.

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    Mute Oisin O'Connell
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    Dec 18th 2020, 12:29 PM

    Now that they are planning to more aggressively suppress Covid in the North; maybe our government can come up with an All-Island Covid strategy – Covid spreads naturally to the county with the highest covid rates without travel and county boundary restrictions

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    Mute Fred the Muss...
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    Dec 18th 2020, 12:44 PM

    @Oisin O’Connell: In fairness I don’t think you can blame our government for this, it was NI that was out of step with us.
    We locked down early, they ploughed on with the UK which has blown up spectacularly in Arlene and Boris’s faces.

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    Mute Ger
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    Dec 18th 2020, 4:01 PM

    @Oisin O’Connell: the Irish government have tried several times to get the Northern executive to work on an all island approach but they won’t

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    Mute Franny Ando
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    Dec 18th 2020, 4:31 PM

    @Fred the Muss…: And now we have to close all hospitality early to stop them from coming here. Which is disgraceful considering most here have been closed on and off since March.

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    Mute pat seery
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    Dec 18th 2020, 4:41 PM

    Arlene has woken up but Four weeks too Late

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    Mute JustBEERbarry
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    Dec 18th 2020, 4:52 PM

    Flushing your head down the jacks would be a start, Arlene.

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    Mute Michael Hanley
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    Dec 18th 2020, 5:29 PM

    Makes a change from her just saying No

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    Mute Gary Mullen
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    Dec 18th 2020, 4:33 PM

    Was she talking about Mayo? They need to up their game too!

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    Mute Brendan Glynn
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    Dec 18th 2020, 8:08 PM

    Garlic or Hurling??

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    Mute kevin mc cormack
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    Dec 19th 2020, 1:43 PM

    Is this the same Arlene who only week’s ago demanded everything be opened up again

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