Eleven Chinese sailors were rescued from their cargo ship that was tilting in South Korean waters near the border with North Korea, the Coast Guard said Tuesday.

The Cambodian-flagged 1,996-ton freighter sent out a distress signal at around 5:40 p.m. as it was listing on its right side about 56 kilometers south of Daecheong Island, it said.

The Coast Guard said it immediately dispatched a helicopter and a patrol boat to the scene but the sailors had already been rescued by a passing freighter.

The Chinese sailors rescued were in good health, it said.

The freighter carrying steel products was en route from South Korea's western port of Daesan to China, the Coast Guard said.

The cause of the apparent accident has yet to be investigated, it said.

(Yonhap News)