Sinking of MV Sewol Reading (B)Log #3

http://www.aljazeera.com/indepth/features/2016/07/diver-pain-living-ghost-sewol-tragedy-160713130446238.html
An emotional article on 'A Diver's Pain: Living with the ghost of Sewol tragedy' by Steven Borowiec, is about a diver's perspective and traumatic experience during throughout his career and missions to find bodies of those who were involved in tragic accidents in the ocean, including the devastating incident of the Sewol Ferry sinking.

Kim Sang-Ho a diver, who accepted a colleague's request to help search for bodies days after the Sewol incident occurred after knowing there wasn't enough diver's on the scene. He spent two months constantly making several deep-sea dives, risking his own life searching for those who lost their owns.
However he never gave up, never wanting to leave at least a chance there might be one person at the bottom of the sea. "My biggest regret is that I got there too late, that I couldn't save one person, I felt like I could die myself, but after a while, that stopped mattering to me.", he said during an interview in Gangnam two years later, still traumatised by the incident. I truly admire his dedication to not only help his friend, but to save the lives by risking his own. Diving into water for two months, searching and searching shows his full commitment to find those bodies of families who they miss dearly. Even with him regretting he couldn't find one, it didn't change the fact he didn't gave up after one try. Like in the film 'Forrest Gump', even after fighting in the Vietnam War, having no money, no home, he didn't give up on the task off buying a shrimp boat.

When reaching the ferry, it made things more difficult to the divers as the water currents were strong and the ferry itself was in devastating state. Having to squeeze through narrow and small spaces to reach the point of the ferry where many bodies were. Having to work around the clock of three hour shifts and three hour rest, it was difficult for the diver's to keep moving or sleep. Kim Sang-Ho saying, "The stress of dangerous dives, and the grim task of searching for waterlogged corpses, made it difficult to get restful sleep". The dedication to find at least one corpse is worth praising, even with tight spaces and the cold strong currents in the water, they continued. I too would have been traumatised if having to risk my own life to find dead corpses for many days. However wanting many families at peace and my own would have been worth the task. Knowing a friend of mine or a family member was trapped inside, I would've been motivated more, but with them doing it as a job, didn't change their dedication at all. "The anxiety was increased for the divers who had to use thin, flexible air hose, which could potentially fold over with every turn and cut off the diver's air supply", risking their own life for those whose life is already gone is extremely worth praising. Similarly in the film 'The Call' when a regular help line service lady risks her life rescuing a teenage girl who has been kidnapped, to bring her home safe for her family and herself. Even taking risks outside of her comfort zone, by going against police orders to bring the kidnapper in herself.

In a world that is full of war and hate, knowing there are people out there willing to risk their own breath for those of who lost theirs is heart warming and should be appreciated not just in an article.