Voyager Salvage Impossible

Press, Volume CIII, Issue 30365, 14 February 1964, Page 11

Voyager Salvage Impossible

(N.Z. Press Association—Copyright)

SYDNEY, February 13. J T The search for surviw vors from the Australian .•rD-b destroyer Voyager eon-t-;Unw tinued today “in the faint aqorf hope of a miracle.” wZ News that the search had been abandoned was published yesterday afternoon. Navy officers say the news caused many complaints from relatives of the missing men . and from other civilians m •■udl Melbourne. , x „ Because of the outcry, the > / Navy Office ordered a rei sumption of the search. Four minesweepers returned to the search area yesterday afternoon, remained .out all night and were not expected to return to Jervis Bav until dusk tonight. Officers taking part m the search believe most of the 75 men still missing from .the Voyager were entombed i f tn the wreckage when it ' plunged to the bottom at

estimated depth of 1000 fathoms (6000 feet) on Monday night after the ship was sliced in half by the carrier, Melbourne. The flag officer commanding the Australian fleet, RearAdmiral O. H. Becher, said today the Voyager had sunk in such deep water that salvage operations would be impossible. The Navy has estimated that any wreckage still afloat would be at least 180 miles away by now. Search vessels are being supplemented by several Gannet aircraft and helicopters.