Search resumes for divers missing on "Franken"

The Polska Zbrojna web portal informs about the resumption of the search for two missing technical divers who dived on the Franken – the most difficult wreck at the bottom of the Gulf of Gdansk. After an unsuccessful search operation on the surface conducted by SAR, WOPR and the helicopter “Anakonda”, as well as after fruitless underwater searches conducted by Krzysztof Starnawski and Paweł Poręba, the Navy entered the action.

-- Advertisement --

Yesterday at 9.30 a.m. ORP “Lech” went to sea. Equipped with modern search equipment such as sonars or ROV type underwater vehicles it will search the area around the wreck of the German tanker for the next two days. The involvement of the Polish Navy in the search is dictated by the activities of the prosecutor’s office, which is conducting an investigation in this case.

“If we find traces relevant to clarify this case, we will forward them to the prosecutor’s office. We are carrying out activities at the request of the prosecutor and he will decide what to do next with the case. If necessary, the prosecutor will be transported to the site of operations and will decide to fish out the bodies.” – said Capt. mar. Przemysław Płonecki, press officer of the 3rd Flotilla of Ships.

The current search follows the events which took place last Sunday, 28 June. It was then that the skipper of the vessel from which the missing men were diving alerted Gdynia SAR about the divers’ failure to appear at the appointed time. Unfortunately, the search action on the surface did not bring any results. With perfect weather, there had to be only one conclusion – both divers are still underwater.

Due to the enormous size of the wreck and its extremely high depth it was not possible to immediately go under water and carry out searches there. The same day Paweł Poręba went down to Franken, unfortunately this dive, as well as the next ones conducted in the following days together with Krzysztof Starnawski did not bring any results.

“The action did not have any effect. The units that took part in it do not have equipment that would allow them to carry out searches below 50 metres depth, so we asked the navy for help in explaining the case, ” said Sławomir Dzięcielski from the District Prosecutor’s Office in Puck.

The investigation is being conducted for manslaughter.

Source: polska-zbrojna.pl