Divers that were originally part of the rescue efforts for passengers onboard the capsized South Korean ferry have now been banned from the search by the government, NBC News reported.
With the death toll now 157, divers are still recovering bodies from the ferry that sank off the coast of South Korea last Wednesday. Most of the 476 passengers onboard were high school students on a trip to the island resort of Jeju, where the ferry was headed. Over 100 are still missing.
The divers, who are volunteers, were excluded from search efforts after family members of passengers requested that only military divers and civilian professionals be used, NBC news reported.
But the group of 50 divers are unhappy with the decision, wondering why the government is denying the extra help.
"We respect the wishes of the families," Hwang Dae Young, leader of the volunteer divers and president of the Korea Underwater Environment Association, told NBC News. "But the government is still not doing enough and we're here to help."
Initially the divers were allowed to help search for survivors in the days following the accident. But they have not been allowed to return, Young said.
One volunteer, 49-year-old Jung Jong Nam, said he has been diving since he was 23.
"I've done over 7,000 dives," Nam told NBC News. "Of course I can to the same job as a military diver."
Nam, who has a child the same age as many of the victims, said he made it all the way to the location where the ferry sank on Tuesday. But the Maritime police would not let him in the water.
"After long hours of waiting, the coast guard told us to leave," Nam told NBC News.
The reason why the ferry Sewol, which left from the port city of Incheon, tilted to the side and then sank on the morning of April 16 is not yet known. Nearly 200 passengers were rescued. Divers continue to search for the missing, who are now feared dead.
Government officials did not offer NBC News a comment on the volunteer diver ban.
