Sea Gypsy Dive Photo Album Above
SEA GYPSY divers are being used to recover a sunken diesel transporter off Phuket. About a dozen of the divers are on standby to go down about 40 metres, using their traditional method.
The 12 divers, from the southern Phuket village of Rawai, use dive masks and basic plastic piping to go to prodigious depths when necessary.
Royal Thai Navy officers had hoped to start the recovery on Wednesday or Thursday but the divers said strong currents below the surface were making the process difficult.
Once the sea calms down, the divers will carry down large empty drums to pack around the converted trawler, them pump air into the drums. Once enough drums are filled with air, the trawler should pop to the surface.
The divers say that judging by conditions on Thursday, it could be up to four more days before the fuel carrier and its load of 25,000 litres of diesel can be recovered.
The vessel sank in bad weather while on its way from Phuket to Racha island at the weekend. While there has been no spill from the diesel cargo so far, Navy officer are mindful of the need to get the fuel to the surface quickly and safely to prevent any chance of marine life being damaged.
The Rawai divers go down in teams of three each time, supported by their fellow workers on the surface in a simple longtail boat, equipped with a pump for air.
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Spend the money and get in professionals rather than exploiting these people.
Posted by Bernie on September 9, 2010 22:38