Body of missing crew member found
Police carrying the body of the deceased crew member. Photo: RSIPF Press.
Police have today located and recovered the body of the missing Asian crew member from the tug boat that recently sunk off Bungana Island in the central province.
A police statement revealed the body was located in the tug boat sitting 64 meters under water and was recovered with the assistance of local diving company ‘Tulagi Dives’.
Earlier efforts to recover the body had been hampered by rough seas, strong currents, and the dept of the sunken tug boat itself.
The deceased crew member was part of 7 crew members who were travelling on a tug boat from Honiara to Malaita when it sank, the other 6 swam to safety on Bungana Island.
Police say the tug boat was pulling a barge when a rope tied to the tug boat broke, resulting in the boat taking in water and sinking.
SIBC understands it has been three and a half weeks since the boat tragedy.