Danwon High School vice principal Kang Min-gyu was found hanging from a tree in Jindo, South Korea on Friday, days after he was rescued from the ferry wreck that left hundreds of the school’s students missing.

Ferry Students’ VP Hangs Himself

Kang, 52, had gone missing earlier in the day, with no one being able to ascertain his whereabouts. He was later found hanging from a tree outside of the gym that was housing families of the ferry wreck’s victims, reported the Daily Mail.

Aboard the South Korean ferry were 475 passengers and crew, 340 of which were students and teachers from Danwon High School in Ansan, a suburban town outside of Seoul.

So far, rescue teams have located 179 survivors and 28 bodies; 268 individuals remain unaccounted for. Rescue workers are continuing their search of the vessel, hopeful that there will be more survivors who managed to find air pockets in which to stay alive. However, strong currents and poor weather conditions have, as of yet, made it impossible for them to get inside the vessel.

Ferry Captain Arrested, Rescue Efforts Continue

The ferry’s captain, Lee Joon-seok, 69, and two crewmembers who managed to find their way to safety have been arrested and jailed for possible negligence and abandonment of their passengers. The captain said on Korean TV that he was “really sorry and deeply ashamed, adding, “I don’t know what to say.”

– Chelsea Regan