May 5, 2014
Ernesto McConnell
Reporter
Headlines
The largest boating accident in South Korea’s recent memory has claimed another life; a recovery diver died searching the sunken ferry’s remains. “A civilian diver, Lee, lost the communication line at 25 meters under the sea five minutes into his first dive,” said a spokesperson. Lee’s full name has not been released. Lee was one of nearly 130 divers that have been searching through the wreckage of the sunken ferry. What began for divers as a hopeful search-and-rescue has turned into a nearly 3 week body recovery mission; no passengers have been found alive since the ferry sunk on April 16, 2014. As time passes, and the easier-to-reach portions of the ship are cleared, the more difficult to enter portions of the ferry lead to the discovery of passenger’s bodies, trapped in locked cabins and doors blocked by debris. Bedding, including mattresses and linens, as well as clothing have been found as far as 9 miles away from the ship. South Korean officials report that 39 people are still missing.
