The huge ferry, which was carrying 475 passengers, capsized and sunk off the coast of South Korea in the early hours of this morning.
Six people have now been confirmed dead with 280 still missing - including many high school students, who were on board the ferry for a school trip.
One of them onboard the ship - who clearly thought he would not survive - sent an emotional text message to his mum.
It read: "Mum, I am sending you this now because I am afraid I will not be able to say it later. I love you."
His mum, unaware of the danger her son was in, replied: "Why? I was wondering why you weren't checking the messenger. Me too, son. I love you."
The student was reportedly later rescued from the stricken vessel.
Another student messaged members of his theatre club, saying, "Looks like we are really gonna die.
"If I've wronged any of you, forgive me. Love you guys."
This student's fate remains unknown.
The Sewol, a 480-foot ferry that can hold more than 900 people, set sail Tuesday from Incheon, in northwestern South Korea, on an overnight, 14-hour journey to the tourist island of Jeju.
The ferry was three hours from its destination when it sent a distress call after it began listing to one side.
Passenger Koo Bonn-hee, 36, said many people were trapped inside by windows that were too hard to break.
"The rescue wasn't done well. We were wearing life jackets. We had time.
"If people had jumped into the water ... they could have been rescued. But we were told not to go out."
287 passengers are still missing and, while the death toll currently sits at 9, it is expected to rise as they have spent more than a day either trapped in the ferry or in the cold seawater.