CNN reports:
“...Divers searching in the depths of the Java Sea for wreckage from AirAsia Flight QZ8501 say big waves on the surface aren't the only difficulty they're facing. They also can't see in front of them down on the sea floor.The diving teams who made their way to the bottom of the sea Sunday encountered muddy waters with zero visibility, according to officials.The Indonesian Navy has sent special equipment to try to tackle the muddy conditions, Indonesian military chief Gen. Moeldoko said Monday.U.S. Navy divers assisting in the search have already been using side-scan sonar gear, which is designed to map the sea floor and capture accurate images for analysis.
When they find submerged wreckage, divers could also face challenges like "jagged edges, torn fuselage, things hanging all over the place," said Geno Gargiulo, an experienced commercial diver in the United States."It's going to be dark inside -- a lot of things for a diver to get snagged on, for its umbilical to get caught up on, to get disoriented," said Gargiulo, who says he's helped in the aftermath of recent catastrophes, including the 2011 earthquake and tsunami in Japan.
***Highlighting the complexity of the challenge, Moeldoko said Monday that one large piece of wreckage initially believed to be part of the aircraft turned out to actually be from a ship.
Objects obscured by waves
The ships and aircraft looking for remains from Flight QZ8501 have so far recovered 37 bodies and detected several large pieces of wreckage believed to be from the commercial jet, according to Indonesian officials. But they still haven't located the main body of the plane and the all-important flight recorders....
The bad weather conditions brought about by Indonesia's monsoon -- including strong winds, thick clouds, heavy rain and big waves -- have hindered the teams' efforts during nine days of searching....."As soon as you see something in the distance, it disappears behind a wave -- and then it's very difficult to try and spot it again," said CNN's Paula Hancocks, who spent 15 hours out on a search vessel Sunday....
****Initial compensation offers
Details emerged over the weekend of initial compensation packages from AirAsia to the families of the victims. Many family members have been waiting anxiously for news of their loved ones in Surabaya, where officials have set up a crisis center to keep them updated as bodies are gradually recovered from the waves and identified on land.
Several relatives told CNN on Sunday that families of those on board the plane were presented with a draft letter from AirAsia outlining details of preliminary compensation of about $24,000 for each family member who was on the plane. While some families signed the letters, others requested revisions to the wording. This compensation money is for any "financial hardships" during this period of the search, and in the letters AirAsia stressed that it was not a confirmation that the people on the plane were deceased...."
Last edited by BG47; 5th Jan 2015 at 10:33.