Koreans React to Second Diver’s Death in Sewol Search Mission

News about a civilian diver’s second death has triggered a barrage of comments on the local online community sites — largely expressing anxiety and worry that there might be another serious accident if it went on like this.

JINDO & SEOUL, May 30 (Korea Bizwire) – A civilian diver died today (May 30) in the operation to retrieve still missing bodies — 16 of them as of today — from the Sewol ferry which sank on April 16. The diver surnamed Lee was reportedly cutting open parts of the ship exterior under the sea. 

Currently, divers are making efforts to cut a new access hole into the submerged vehicle with a hope that less barriers at the site might raise a possibility to discover the bodies still missing. 

This is the second time a civilian diver died during the search operation after the tragic Sewol ferry accident. And the news about a civilian diver’s second death has triggered a barrage of comments on the local online community sites — largely expressing anxiety that there might be other accidents if the search operation goes on like this.

The families of the missing bodies are not agreeing with the proposed salvage of the ship by raising concerns that a salvage operations might lead to loss of their cherished family members of whom the majority are high school students. 

Many people have been sided with the families’ demand on putting off the plan to pull up the ship but hearing the death of the second diver, there arose the necessity of the salvage operation, according to local reports. 

Meanwhile, a first fatality among divers happened on May 6th and he was reportedly on his first trip town to the submerged hull to search for bodies. 

Jerry M. Kim (jerrykim@koreabizwire.com)