HAYASHIO MARU

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Divers wound up search inside sunken tour boat

Deepwater divers wound up their two-day search inside the 'Kazu I' off Hokkaido on May 20, finding no trace of the 12 people still missing since April 23. The transport ministry is now planning to start work as early as May 21 to salvage the 19-ton vessel. The divers were sent down from the barge 'Kaishin'. The divers used a special technique known as saturation diving, in which they absorb a mix of oxygen and helium to adjust to the water pressure at the depth they intend to work at. The Coastguard was still searching the area with aircraft and boats, while local police have expanded their search on land to areas south of the peninsula. Meanwhile, a body, possibly of one of the missing, was found on the shore of Kunashiri Island, one of the islands controlled by Russia and claimed by Japan near Hokkaido. Russian authorities contacted Japan's Foreign Ministry about the body on May 19. This marks the second time an unidentified person has been found dead on the island's shore since the boat accident. A woman's body was found washed ashore on the island on May 6. REport with photo: https://english.kyodonews.net/news/2022/05/27d83973b7a5-divers-wind-up-search-inside-sunken-tour-boat-off-hokkaido.html

Deepwater divers searching for missing people

The 'Hayashio Maru' along with a workboat carrying deepwater divers divers on May 19 began search operations at the site of the tour boat 'Kazu 1' that sank off Hokkaido, aiming to get to the bottom of the accident that left 14 people dead and 12 still unaccounted for. The divers will conclude the task of searching for those missing as early as May 20. The divers are also slated to carry out a survey to see if it is possible to raise the 19-ton vessel, which was carrying 26 people when it disappeared off Shiretoko Peninsula on April 23. The boat is resting about 120 meters below the surface. It is the first time that divers have been involved in the survey of the 'Kazu I'. An underwater drone has been used for that purpose but none of the missing was found inside. The tour boat was carrying 24 passengers and two crew members when it made a distress call and vanished after leaving Utoro port in Shari for a sightseeing trip along the scenic peninsula, despite bad weather being forecast.

Special trained divers to search for bodies in sunken tour boat

The 'Hayashio Maru' along with a crane vessel carrying divers trained to work at great depths arrived at Arashiri in preparation for a search inside the tour boat 'Kazu I' that sank off the Shiretoko Peninsula, leaving 14 people dead and 12 missing. The vessel is slated to leave Abashiri port in the afternoon of May 18 with the divers expected to start searching inside the 19-ton biat about 120 meters below the surface, as early as May 19 for anyone left inside. Underwater drones have already been used to search inside the boat but no one was found. The divers will attempt a special technique known as saturation diving, in which they absorb a mix of oxygen and helium so they can adjust their bodies to the level of water pressure at the depth they intend to work at. Japan Coast Guard boats continued to search for the missing at sea, while police have expanded their search to areas south of the peninsula. The tour boat was carrying 24 passengers and two crew members when it made a distress call and disappeared on April 23 after leaving Utoro port in Shari for sightseeing along the scenic peninsula, despite a forecast for rough weather. Report with photo: https://english.kyodonews.net/news/2022/05/d48eb96e63e3-deepwater-divers-prepare-for-search-inside-sunken-hokkaido-tour-boat.html