Four missing after cargo ship capsizes off Georgia coast

Four people are unaccounted for after a cargo ship capsized off the coast of Georgia, the U.S. Coast Guard said Sunday. 

Twenty of the 24 crew members on board have been rescued, the Coast Guard said. 

The boat, Golden Ray, capsized in the St. Simons Sound at around 2 a.m. and multiple Coast Guard units responded. 

Smoke and flames appeared preventing crews from continuing the rescue mission until the vessel stabilized, said Capt. John Reed, commander of the Coast Guard Sector Charleston at a news conference Sunday.{mosads}

“As smoke and flames began to appear our crews, along with the Glynn County heavy rescue team, assessed that the situation was too risky to further go inside the vessel to attempt to locate the four individuals who remain missing at this time,” Reed said, according to CNN. 

Reed said officials are working to stabilize the vessel and continue the rescue efforts for the remaining crew members. 

All vessel traffic in the Port of Brunswick is suspended unless approved by the captain of the port, the Coast Guard said.

#Update Evacuations of the Golden Ray’s crew continue. All vessel traffic in the Port of Brunswick is currently suspended unless approved by the @USCG Captain of the Port. #HappeningNow pic.twitter.com/F7JbdGCShU

— USCGSoutheast (@USCGSoutheast) September 8, 2019

Officials are also implementing pollution mitigation efforts, but Cmdr. Norm Witt of the coast Guard’s Marine Safety Unit Savannah said there was no active release of pollution at this time.