Civilian Diver Involved in Search for South Korean Ferry Victims Dies

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A girl prays in front of paper ships bearing messages for the victims of the sunken ferry Sewol at a group memorial altar in Seoul, South Korea, Monday, May 5, 2014.

Image: Ahn Young-joon/Associated Press

By Anita Li2014-05-06 02:32:47 UTC

A civilian diver involved in the search for missing people from the South Korean ferry disaster died Tuesday, local time, after becoming unconscious, government officials said.

The 53-year-old diver was pulled to the water's surface by other divers after losing communication, according to the Associated Press. He later died at a hospital.

See also: South Korean Ferry Regularly Carried Excessive Cargo, Report Says

As of Monday, the death toll reached 260 people, the AP reported. Only 174 people have been rescued so far, including 22 of the 29 crew members, with 40 still missing. The final death toll is expected to be around 300. Of the 476 people on board, there were more than 330 students and teachers from Danwon High School in Ansan, a city near Seoul. The Sewol capsized off the southern coast of South Korea on April 16.

In their search, divers have been looking for bodies in the last three unopened rooms on the Sewol's third floor, Ko Myung-seok, a government task-force spokesperson, said. Floating debris and difficulty navigating the ferry's corridors and cabins have hindered search efforts, although better weather and calmer ocean currents have helped, Ko added, according to the AP.

The Sewol's captain, Lee Joon-seok, and 14 other crew members were arrested on negligence charges, and for abandoning passengers aboard the ferry during an emergency. Four others who were not aboard the Sewol when it sank, including those suspected of negligence in their handling of the ferry's cargo, were also arrested on Tuesday, local time.

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Topics: South Korea, south korea ferry, south korean ferry, US & World, World