A diver from the South Korean Navy’s Ship Salvage Unit (SSU) puts on a diving helmet before a rescue and search operation for the missing passengers onboard the sunken passenger ship Sewol in the sea off Jindo April 26, 2014. File image (c) REUTERS/Yonhap
By Narae Kim
SEOUL, May 6 (Reuters) – A diver lost consciousness and died on Tuesday during the search operation for victims still missing
after last month’s South Korean ferry disaster.
The diver had lost radio contact five minutes after diving to fix guideline ropes on the fifth deck of the sunken ferry,
according to Ko Myung-seok, spokesman for the government’s emergency task force.
He was unable to breathe by himself when he was brought to the surface, and his death was later confirmed at a hospital.
The dead man had been working for Undine Marine Industries, the company brought in to lead search efforts on the Sewol
ferry, which capsized and sank about 20 km (12 miles) off the southwest coast of South Korea on April 16 with 476 passengers
and crew on board.
Among the passengers were 339 were children and teachers on a high school outing to the southern island of Jeju. Only 174
people have been rescued. The confirmed death toll is 263, with 39 still missing.
An investigation is ongoing and amid rising indignation over the government’s handling of the disaster, President Park Geun-hye voiced criticism on Tuesday of the role played by the ferry operator and government officials.
“Safety rules that must be observed were not followed because of worldly desires and irresponsible acts that tolerated those injustices have resulted in death,” she said during her address at a temple in Seoul on Tuesday to celebrate Buddha’s birthday.
She promised to fundamentally change national policies and systems to improve safety and to clean up malpractices to ensure businesses and government officials comply with requirements.
President Park visited the families of the ferry victims on Sunday afternoon in Paengmok port in Jindo for the second time
since the tragedy.
Her approval rating had slipped to 53 percent as of May 5, 12 percent down for the two weeks after the disaster, according to Seoul-based polling company Realmeter.
(Additional Reporting by Ju-min Park; Editing by Simon Cameron-Moore)
(c) 2014 Thomson Reuters, All Rights Reserved
Join the gCaptain Club for curated content, insider opinions, and vibrant community discussions.
Join the 108,746 members that receive our newsletter.
Have a news tip? Let us know.
A crew member on a Singapore-registered chemical tanker was injured due to an "unauthorised boarding" of the vessel on Friday and is being medically evacuated, Singapore's port authority said.
U.S. President Donald Trump on Wednesday said he was reversing a license given to Chevron to operate in Venezuela by his predecessor Joe Biden more than two years ago, accusing President Nicolas Maduro of not making progress on electoral reforms and migrant returns.
Mexico is working with the United States to reach an agreement on tariffs before an impending deadline, a senior Mexican government official said on Wednesday, and the U.S. recognized its work to control migration and fentanyl trafficking.
Maritime and offshore news trusted by our 108,746 members delivered daily straight to your inbox.
Essential news coupled with the finest maritime content sourced from across the globe.
Sign Up
Join The Club
