Survivors of a fishing boat that capsized off South Korea's south coast testified to the courage of their captain Sunday, saying he tried to save as many passengers as he could before being killed in a storm.

"Hold my hand," Kim Cheol-soo cried out as he stretched out an arm from the top of the capsized boat Saturday, shortly after the 9.77-ton Dolphin left Chuja Island off the south coast for Haenam, South Jeolla Province.

"Our boat is connected to the coast guard, so they will come rescue us. Don't worry. They'll be here soon," the 46-year-old captain told passengers as they hung on to the boat for dear life.

Those were the last words of the captain heard by a 49-year-old surnamed Lee, one of only three people who are known to have survived the accident. Ten people, including the captain, have been confirmed dead, while an estimated eight others remain unaccounted for.

Lee was rescued along with two other people early Sunday morning after hanging on to the boat for more than 10 hours, crying out for help and encouraging each other to hold on for just another 30 minutes or an hour.

The captain's courage has brought back memories of the captain of the ferry Sewol, which sank off the country's southwest coast in April 2014, leaving more than 300 people dead or missing.

Lee Joon-seok, the Sewol's captain, was the first to abandon the ship.

Another survivor, surnamed Park, recalled how Kim ordered passengers to leave their cabins, something the Sewol's captain failed to do.

"Water was beginning to fill the boat and as soon as I came out, the boat capsized," he said. (Yonhap)