Seabed survey and ocean exploration company Ocean Infinity deployed its vessel on February 8 to begin the search for the lost South Korean ship, Stellar Daisy.
The company said that the Seabed Constructor, which departed on its mission from Cape Town, is expected expected to be on site and commencing search operations by mid-February 2019.
The ill-fated Stellar Daisy sank on March 31, 2017, with the tragic loss of 22 of its 24 crew. The ship, which was transporting iron ore from Brazil to China, is believed to have gone down in the South Atlantic Ocean around 1800 nautical miles due west of Cape Town.
Ocean Infinity would simultaneously use its fleet of Autonomous Underwater Vehicles (AUVs) to search for Stellar Daisy. Upon locating the ship a survey of the wreck will be carried out, before an attempt to recover the voyage data recorder is made.
“The team and equipment are set to execute the Stellar Daisy search plan and we are pleased that our ship begins its journey today to the search area, in one of the most remote areas of the South Atlantic,” Oliver Plunkett, Ocean Infinity’s CEO, said.
“We are working closely with the Government of South Korea, and in turn with the families of the lost crew.”