Turkey’s recovery vessel suspends search for Georgian soldiers missing in Black Sea after 16 days
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The search and recovery operation by a specialist ship from Turkey's Coast Guard Service for two Georgian soldiers missing off Georgia's Black Sea coast after a training dive has been suspended.
Turkey's deep sea search vessel TCG Akcakoca had been leading the search for Corporal Iago Sharadze and First Class Private Giorgi Nanetashvili after the two soldiers failed to surface during a deep sea dive training on August 16.
Today Georgia's Ministry of Defence announced the ship's crew had ceased the search having "expended all resources, considering the difficult natural conditions they faced in their work."
The search efforts will now be continued by Georgian agencies, Defence Minister Levan Izoria told reporters today.
The 650-tonne vessel with a crew of 41 joined the search operation on August 20 after Georgia's Defence Ministry requested assistance in locating the two missing service members.
The vessel was equipped with search equipment suitable for the deep sea. Photo from the Ministry of Defence of Georgia.
Equipped with an expert sonar system, the ship was able to carry out search operations in depths of 200m and a 350m radius.
The search operation on board the vessel was observed by Georgia's Minister of Defence, while parents of the missing soldiers were also admitted to the ship where its crew informed them of the equipment used in the operation.
The search and recovery effort also saw participation of the United States (US) forces assigned to Special Operations Command Europe (SOCEUR) and another Turkish ship with crew of nine on August 17.
Corporal Sharadze and First Class Private Nanetashvili were undergoing mandatory dive training within the scheduled maritime special course on August 16. They failed to surface after the planned dive and were presumed dead.
Defence Minister Izoria said today the investigation into the incident had already acquired "definite results" and its findings would be shared to the public "soon".
Last week Izoria told reporters "obvious signs of a crime” had been found during the ongoing investigation into the matter.
Soldiers still missing after deep sea dive
Mistakes may have been made during dive training which led to the death of two soldiers after they failed to surface during a deep sea dive last week, says a top Georgian official.
Marine experts from Turkey are the latest international players to get involved in a search and recovery operation of two Georgian soldiers who went missing two days ago during a deep sea training dive in the Black Sea off Georgia’s west coast.
Specialist from the United States are involved in a search and recovery of two Georgian soldiers who went missing yesterday after a deep sea training dive.
Two Georgian soldiers missing for 16 days have been remembered and farewelled in a symbolic funeral this afternoon by family and loved ones who gathered at the spot where they went missing during deep sea dive training.