Clearance Divers Arrive In Tonga

8 August 2009

Sixteen specialist Royal Australian Navy Clearance Divers and a support team arrived in Tonga early this morning to commence search, support and recovery operations for the victims of the Tongan ferry disaster.

The Sydney-based clearance divers were transported to Tonga aboard a C-130J Hercules aircraft overnight.

The Australian Government agreed to the short notice deployment following an official request from the Government of Tonga for Australian assistance in recovery operations.

The divers from Australian Clearance Diving Team One will work with a diving team from the Royal New Zealand Navy in support of the Tongan Defence Service.

A joint diving reconnaissance mission aboard the Tongan patrol boat VOEA Pangai was launched on Saturday afternoon from Navy Base Masefield (Touliki).

Defence personnel are conducting a reconnaissance of the incident site to review the situation and conduct appropriate planning and preparation before recovery operations commence, which is likely for Monday.

The exact location of the ferry is unknown, although a search area has been established.

The Princess Ashika sunk on Wednesday night during a regular weekly service, carrying 141 people aboard.

A Tongan patrol boat recovered two bodies and 54 survivors, including 28 crew members from the ferry. Eighty five people remain unaccounted for.

The sinking of Princess Ashika is Tonga’s worst ferry disaster since December 1977, when the boat Tokomea disappeared with 63 people on board.