SHINNICHIMARU

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Salvage ship investigated sunken tour boat with ROV

The 'Shinnichi Maru' investigated the sunken tour boat 'Kazu I' oin behalf of the Japan Coast Guard off eastern Hokkaido on May 8, 2022. The remotely operated submersible Hakuyo equipped with a high-performance camera was deployed for the first time on May 8 to search the interior of the 'Kazu I' which sank off the Shiretoko Peninsula on April 23 with 26 people on board. 14 bodies had been recovered by May 8, and 12 people remained missing. The ROV was dispatched on the evening of May 7 to the site where the tragedy occurred. Work to probe the sunken sightseeing boat about 120 meters below the sea surface began on the morning of May 8. An underwater camera the Hokkaido police used was remotely retrieved five days after it took images of the 'Kazu I's interior on May 3. Rescuers obtained no clues to the whereabouts of the missing people as of the morning of May 9. Strong tides hampered previous attempts by the Japan Coast Guard, Hokkaido police and the Maritime Self-Defense Force to capture the interior of the boat using underwater cameras. The government is planning to commission a private-sector company by the end of May to assign divers with special saturation diving apparatuses to search the 'Kazu I's interior. The divers will also check the extent of damage to the boat and the characteristics of the surrounding area to prepare to salvage the vessel, which would be wound with wires and lifted by a floating crane. Reports with photos and video: https://www.asahi.com/ajw/articles/14616550 https://www.asahi.com/ajw/articles/14610552