Korean tragedy - how soon is too soon for a recreational dive?

[fjpatrum]

I don't know that I would feel any particular sense of "wrong" diving a wreck like that but I won't dive anything I believe is a grave, personally. It doesn't really matter how long ago it went down. I don't find it wrong but it's very emotional for me.

 

[Scared Silly]

If indeed the wreck is in 30m of water I would venture to guess that it will be salvaged.

BTW Did anyone notice that many of the life boat were not deployed?

Edit to add, it would appear that the wreck currently has a large air pocket as the stern remains above water.

 

[CT-Rich]

Another question to be addressed would be whether or not it is a tomb. Given the shallow depth and that rescue efforts are on going (hopefully with positive results), there is a possibility that all the passengers will be recovered. If so, I imagine the hull will be salvaged, too. As far as divability, I think this ship will be a pretty dangerous one to penetrate. 30 m is shallow and will be subject to wave action by currents and storms and will probably break-up over time and loose debris will take years to settle, especially if she is not up right on the bottom.

WW I and II predate Recreational SCUBA and no one anticipated the need for rules about maritime war graves before the horse had left the barn. In this case I would expect the South Koreans to make some pretty quick decisions about regulating access to the wreck after the rescue/recovery/investigation are completed.

Out of respect for the families I would have to put diving the sight off my "to do list" for years if not decades. There are plenty of wrecks that one can dive in the meantime.

 

[ccx2]

I wouldn't want to dive it unless it was to rescue or recover. And under the circumstances it sank and unless most were recovered I don't see why someone would want to go down and gawk at a fresh tragic wreck for pleasure or even curiosity. Time will help if it remains on the bottom and sea growth will form a scab and then a scar, then fish will cozy up to it ,and then it will be something to look at.

 

[swimmer_spe]

When sailing in/out of Pearl Harbor, I have though about diving those wrecks there.

A way of paying respects.

There is a difference between "treasure hunting" and visiting? Kind of like going and visiting something like The Vimy Ridge Memorial?

 

[billt4sf]

For me, it would be "whenever there is more life to look at than death to think about". Which I guess is a personal judgement.

- Bill

 

[Nemrod]

Hesitant to involve myself in a thread which could be considered in bad taste. But, frankly, I am pretty sure they intend to salvage the ship due to the numbers of children possibly trapped inside whose fate is unknown. If at some time in the future they then decided to sink it as a memorial or artificial reef, that will be different.

If it sinks right where it is and the lives of loved ones are taken with it, I would say it would be wrong to dive it until all who were touched by it were also passed on.

N

 

[ccx2]

Hesitant to involve myself in a thread which could be considered in bad taste. But, frankly, I am pretty sure they intend to salvage the ship due to the numbers of children possibly trapped inside whose fate is unknown. If at some time in the future they then decided to sink it as a memorial or artificial reef, that will be different.

If it sinks right where it is and the lives of loved ones are taken with it, I would say it would be wrong to dive it until all who were touched by it were also passed on.

N

I agree, and lets not forget it isn't sunk on the bottom , its still above the surface bottom up last i saw, hopefully they can still get some of those people out as they did the Cook on the sunken tug. Then maybe they can wright it somehow and save the ferry from the bottom. Hope So.