AIBU to question recovering divers’ bodies

[SP2024]

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?

I’m not focused on the money alone. The other aspects of my questions have been addressed and I’ve learned some things. But no one had addressed this aspect. Whilst I agree families will want their loved ones back I assume they are not the ones paying for the recovery mission. I wonder if there is some kind of insurance that covers this or a government fund etc. It must be very expensive. But just because I’m asking the question doesn’t mean I don’t have empathy for the families. They are not mutually exclusive.

I would assume the Maldivian government is paying for it. Does it really matter, the money isn’t important.

My mum and I regularly have this conversation about the bodies on Everest - there are circa 200 bodies up there, the world's highest graveyard.

I think they will be cleaned up probably within the decade.

They are already starting to use drones to take supplies up Everest, and on the way down they carry rubbish etc.

This is a really interesting article and fairly contemporary: https://www.outsideonline.com/outdoor-adventure/everest/mount-everest-dead-bodies-2024/

The use of industrial/commercial drones is really important for Everest and the transportation of equipment and removal of waste - but you still need people to load/offload. Even though drones can fly in the death zone - you'd still require humans to go up there and risk their own lives. It's not a fully automated process. Not that most people who perish are in the death zone, but there is a significant percentage and it would require human intervention to retrieve them.

My husband and son are divers so we've been watching this story and it appears they wanted to recover the bodies and the equipments which includes cameras to determine what happened. There was a theory that a current may have dragged them into the caves and if that's the case then knowing this they can warn other divers of the dangers of that area. I also second what others have said because in diving you have to have a buddy who could save your life if it went wrong there is a strong mentality of no one left behind. It does seem like the group who were experienced made a lot of wrong decisions and sealed their fate.

For the families it gives them a body for burial and also to try and answers as to what happened by post mortem examinations, inspection of dive computers and equipment etc. This might help to prevent future similar accidents, which in turn may help the family feel something positive has come out of it.

Most bodies are retrieved by volunteers or by people being paid to do so. Similarly on Everest, some families will pay specialist teams to retrieve bodies of loved ones if it is possible to do so.

My brother travels remotely a lot and has always said not to pay to retrieve/repatriate his body if he dies abroad because he doesn’t want us to have the stress and what he feels is unnecessary expense.

This New York Times article about the retrieval of bodies from Everest is fascinating (it is also very graphic so don’t click if you might find it too upsetting):

Deliverance from 27,000 feet

I’m not sure why you think bodies from ship wrecks and small boats are just “left to nature”. There’s usually a proportionate search for any bodies. If anything in this situation it makes more sense to go and get them because they know where they are.