Lermontov hull to be examined for bacteria

Press, 12 September 1986, Page 2

Lermontov hull to be examined for bacteria

PA Blenheim The threat of bacterial pollution from the wreck of the Mikhail Lermontov will be investigated by the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries. This was announced yesterday by the Ministry’s regional fisheries officer for Marlborough and Nelson, Mr Danny McGowan. Possible evidence of bacterial pollution in Port Gore, where the Russian cruise liner sank in February, first came from a Search and Rescue diving team carrying out a familiarisation dive on the wreck in early August Further evidence came to light early this week when divers retrieved the anchors laid from the vessel Little Mermaid which was used to salvage fuel oil from the liner. The leader of the August diving team, Mr Roger Cowan, said two divers had become sick the night after they had visited the wreck. “It may have been coincidental but we came back with the conclusion that there could be a lot

of pollution by bacteria,” he said. Mr Cowan said that although the fuel tanks in the ship had been cleared, the effluent tanks had remained untouched since the vessel sank. He said bacterial pollu-

tion would not have affected the divers involved in the oil salvage from the Mikhail Lermontov as they had been wearing hard hats during the operation. Normal scuba equipment did not offer the same protection.