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Original poster

AIBU to question recovering divers’ bodies

59 replies

SP2024 · 26/05/2026 21:55

The case of the divers who have perished underwater is very sad. The company clearly didn’t have the right equipment. Went too deep and couldn’t get back. However I can’t understand why they risked other lives - and someone did die - trying to recover the bodies. Why not leave them to nature like ship wrecks and those who fall overboard from the small boats? It surely cost loads as well. What am I not understanding?

OP posts:
Backedoffhackedoff · 26/05/2026 22:18

GrumpyInsomniac · 26/05/2026 22:16

My SIL is still missing. The police believe she is dead, but without a body we haven’t even been able to have a funeral.

While the police did try to find a body in SIL’s case, they failed. Ask my DH whether he wished they’d spent more time diving to find her body in conditions not nearly as difficult.

Closure isn’t just therapy-speak and I hope you never have to find that out for yourself.

I genuinely don’t understand this point (communicated by yourself and a poster above in quits an abrupt offended way tbh) your DH wouldn’t have wanted a police officer to die recovering his sisters body just so he could have closure, would he?

GrumpyInsomniac · 26/05/2026 22:16

My SIL is still missing. The police believe she is dead, but without a body we haven’t even been able to have a funeral.

While the police did try to find a body in SIL’s case, they failed. Ask my DH whether he wished they’d spent more time diving to find her body in conditions not nearly as difficult.

Closure isn’t just therapy-speak and I hope you never have to find that out for yourself.

Ineffable23 · 26/05/2026 22:16

If I died, I definitely wouldn't want anyone to take a risk to try to recover my body. I don't need my body once I'm dead but alive people definitely need theirs. So I don't think asking the question is inherently disrespectful; clearly some people feel it's very important to them and others don't.

Tabarnak · 26/05/2026 22:14

There are big searches by air and boat for anyone lost from small boats! And the big majority are recovered (because of the buoyancy jackets)

But if missing bodies are not spotted it is hardly feasible to send divers out across the channel searching for bodies.

Backedoffhackedoff · 26/05/2026 22:13

I doubt they tried to recover the bodies in the knowledge that others would die, it must’ve been a miscalculation of risk or unknown factor?

there are no circumstances under which you risk a life to recover a dead body. It’s unpalatable but it is right.

Plinketyplonks · 26/05/2026 22:13

Other people dive that cave. I suppose they had to remove the bodies as they may attract sharks and also so their families can bury them.

Tabarnak · 26/05/2026 22:11

It’s tragic. A diver died trying to recover the bodies, as a diver also died in 2005 recovering a fellow diver’s body in S Africa.

If I meet an accidental end in difficult conditions I definitely do not wanting anyone to put themselves at risk for a body I no longer need.

MrSchubertWhiskers · 26/05/2026 22:00

I don't know if people do just leave the bodies of those poor souls who fall overboard from small boats but that you think it's acceptable is fairly shocking

Sunisgettinganewhaton · 26/05/2026 21:55

That their families wanted to give them a dignified funeral?