Rescuers are battling against rough seas and high winds to save eight fishermen who are trapped inside a capsized fishing boat in Bohai Bay, according to local police.

The boat, Jinzhou Fishing 15315, capsized around 10:30 PM on Monday about 20 nautical miles southeast of Jinzhou port, northeast China's Liaoning Province.

Four fishing boats and two tugboats have been sent to rescue the fishermen but are unable to get close enough to the capsized boat due to the adverse weather conditions, according to an official in charge of the rescue operation.

"Rescuers had to jump in the water and swim to the boat. That's when they heard the fishermen pounding on the wall of the cabin for help," the official said.

The fishing boat is now totally submerged in the sea and officials are frantically discussing how to rescue the trapped fishermen.

(Xinhua News Agency December 5, 2006)