Knowing death was imminent, one of the young passengers of the ill-fated sunken South Korean passenger ferry Sewol documented his final moments as the vessel started sinking. His video captured on his cellphone was released by his father to allow the world a glimpse of how they died.
The 17-minute recording video was recorded by 17-year-old student Park Su-hyeon, one of the 325 Danwon High School students on a class trip. He was among the ferry's fatalities.
The students tried to make light of their situation, concocting jokes that what they will experience will be like the monumental sinking of the Titanic.
One even hummed the theme song used on the Titanic movie as the ship continued to list.
Seen huddled below deck, the students wondered if they will make the news as they discussed what they should do. However, the fear among their voices grew evident as the ship's listing became worse.
"Am I going to die?" a student asked.
"Dad, I don't want to die," another said.
While the students scramble to find life jackets, an announcement can be heard: "Don't move away from your places and brace for any possible accidents."
And as if sensing they won't be able to escape this tragedy, some of the students offered their last words.
"We're all finished. I have to leave some farewell words before I die," one said.
The most heartbreaking, "Mom, I love you. Dad, I love you," will surely haunt the parents forever.
Park Jong-dae, the boy's father, provided the video clip to The Associated Press on Thursday. He said he wanted the world to know the ship's condition as it sank.
Earlier, Park senior released it to select members of the South Korean media.
The Sewol capsized and sank off the southern island of Jindo on April 16. More than 210 people have been confirmed dead. Some 89 still remain unaccounted.
Warning: this video can be distressing.
Another video has also emerged showing passengers trapped on board the sinking South Korean ferry desperately trying to break windows before the ship disappears beneath the surface. See here.
A student (in white), who survived the Sewol ferry disaster and was discharged from a hospital, cries after paying tribute to victims of the sunken passenger ship, at the official memorial altar in Ansan April 30, 2014. The Sewol ferry sank on a routine trip south from the port of Incheon to the traditional holiday island of Jeju on April 16. More than 300 people, most of them students and teachers on a field trip from the Danwon High School on the outskirts of Seoul, have died or are missing and presumed dead. REUTERS/Kim Hong-JiREUTERS/Kim Hong-JiSouth Korean workers march in memory of the victims of sunken ferry Sewol during a May Day rally in central Seoul May 1, 2014. The Sewol ferry sank on a routine trip south from the port of Incheon to the traditional holiday island of Jeju on April 16. More than 300 people, most of them students and teachers on a field trip from the Danwon High School on the outskirts of Seoul, have died or are missing and presumed dead. REUTERS/Kim Hong-Ji REUTERS/Kim Hong-JiA family member of missing passengers onboard the sunken passenger ship Sewol scatters candies over the sea as she waits for news from a search and rescue operation team at a port in Jindo May 1, 2014. The Sewol ferry sank on a routine trip south from the port of Incheon to the traditional holiday island of Jeju on April 16. More than 300 people, most of them students and teachers on a field trip from the Danwon High School on the outskirts of Seoul, have died or are missing and presumed dead. REUTERS/Song Won-young/News1 REUTERS/Song Won-young/News1A family member of missing passengers onboard the sunken passenger ship Sewol cries as she waits for news from a search and rescue operation team at a port in Jindo May 1, 2014. The Sewol ferry sank on a routine trip south from the port of Incheon to the traditional holiday island of Jeju on April 16. More than 300 people, most of them students and teachers on a field trip from the Danwon High School on the outskirts of Seoul, have died or are missing and presumed dead. REUTERS/Song Won-young/News1REUTERS/Song Won-young/News1South Korean Prime Minister Chung Hong-won (C) talks with family members of missing passengers onboard the sunken passenger ship Sewol at a makeshift accommodation at a gym in Jindo May 1, 2014. Chung announced his resignation last Sunday over the government response to the ferry disaster, in which it was first announced that everyone had been rescued, focusing attention on poor regulatory controls. The Sewol ferry sank on a routine trip south from the port of Incheon to the traditional holiday island of Jeju on April 16. More than 300 people, most of them students and teachers on a field trip from the Danwon High School on the outskirts of Seoul, have died or are missing and presumed dead. REUTERS/Yonhap REUTERS/Yonhap
