A clearance dive team from the Royal Australian Navy (RAN) last week departed for the commencement of Operation Ashika Assist to help in the recovery of human remains from the ferry 'Princess Ashika'.
The team consists of 16 personnel and is capable of operating to depths of 50 metres. The specialist navy divers will deploy with underwater cutting and lifting tools as well as imagery and sonar capabilities. This team also includes medical specialists with a deployable decompression chamber.
The team was dispatched in response to the Government of Tonga's request for assistance in the recovery efforts.