Update: Navy Clearance Divers In Tonga

Update: Navy Clearance Divers In Tonga

Tongan authorities yesterday announced that they have a high level of confidence that the site of MV Princess Ashika has been located 11 nautical miles south west of Nomuka in the Hapai group of Islands.

On Tuesday, combined dive teams from New Zealand and Australia operating from the Tongan patrol boat VOEA Pangai located the berthing hauser to the ferry and were able to follow the line down to 50m where they reported it continued into the darkness towards the seabed.

This location coincides with the EPIRB signal and the location of the Ferry Master’s final radio call. Debris and oil has also been sited in the area.

Yesterday morning, at around 11am local time, sonar readings from the Royal New Zealand Navy’s Remote Environmental Measuring Underwater System (REMUS) confirmed that an object with shape and size consistent with a ferry was lying below the berthing hauser.

The vessel is believed to be intact and upright at a depth of around 110m, beyond the safe diving depth of our clearance dive team.

Acting Chief of Joint Operations, Air Vice Marshal Greg Evans says that visual confirmation is the next step in the recovery process.

“We now need to confirm 100 percent that this is indeed the MV Princess Ashika,” Air Vice Marshal Evans said.

“The combined Navies will attempt to confirm the identification with a special underwater vessel that can capture video at depth, however, it must be stressed that this requires stable seas which we are not expected to see until at least next week.”

“Diving to this depth requires highly specialised capabilities. Options for retrieving any remains of bodies from the vessel will now need to be reviewed.”

OP Ashika Assist is the ADF contribution to the recovery of any human remains on board the MV Princess Ashika, which sank on 5 August 2009. Sixteen Royal Australian Navy Clearance Divers are deployed on this mission.

ENDS

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