Ferry passengers describe urgent rescue mission off Scotland

Lifeboats join a search and rescue operation off the coast of northern Scotland.

A cargo vessel with eight people on board capsized on Saturday but no survivors have been found.

Passengers of a nearby ferry say their own boat stopped to help in the frantic search.

(SOUNDBITE) (English) PASSENGER JANICE GRAHAM, SAYING:

"It was really fast from when they started searching how quickly it all came in. But unfortunately there was just a little bit of debris in the water, but no sign of any survivors at that point. So yeah, quite sad."

(SOUNDBITE) (English) PASSENGER THERESA AZIZ BAWA, SAYING:

"There was no sign of life or anything so it's really sad. Because it's New Year, and they've probably got families and, you know, kids, and well they will have families but they could have kids and wives."

UK media are reporting the search for survivors was called off late Sunday and that the crew may be feared dead.