A civilian diver searching for bodies in the South Korean Sewol ferry that sank last month has died, according to South Korea's Government Rescue Headquarters.
According to BBC News, the 53-year-old man, known only by his surname Lee, died in the hospital after losing consciousness, officials said.
"A civilian diver, Lee, lost the communication line at 25 meters under the sea five minutes into his first dive," spokesman Koh Myung-suk said.
"By the time his colleagues went to save him, Lee was unconscious and unable to breathe by himself," Koh said.
Lee is the first fatality among divers searching for Sewol ferry, which sank on April 16 with 476 people on board.
The tragic accident claimed 262 lives due to many passengers being trapped inside the vessel, with 30 still missing, the government reported. Only 174 people have survived.
Lee, a veteran crew member of Undine Marine Industries, was known for specializing in maritime engineering and rescue work, state news agency Yonhap reported.
Shortly after diving into 25 meter deep waters in the early hours of Tuesday, Lee allegedly lost consciousness. It was his first search attempt in the Sewol, according to the authorities.
After losing communication with him five minutes into the dive, fellow divers began a rescue search and pulled him to the surface.
Prime Minister Chung Hong-won has since ordered government officials overseeing the rescue operation to thoroughly check divers' health conditions, BBC News reported.
Bad weather and fast currents are being battled by divers over the past three weeks in order to retrieve bodies. Once they get inside the ferry, divers have had to navigate floating debris and the maze of corridors, reports said.
Another diver, aged 31, fell unconscious last week after diving four times before daybreak, Yonhap said. Several others have also been treated at hyperbaric oxygen therapy centers.
The last three unopened rooms next to a snack bar on the ferry's third floor were currently being worked on by the divers, authorities said.
