In Search of Souls (Inside the MV St. Thomas Aquinas- Bodies Recovery Operation)

This compilation video shows the painstaking and laborious process of entering the wreck of the MV St. Thomas Aquinas in order to recover the poor souls claimed on the day of her sinking - 16 August 2013. it was published to mark the 8th anniversary of our last recovery dive.

We made this video also a reminder to all seafarers of their duty of care to their passengers. The Philippines has a very high rate of maritime disasters and we hope this video will touch the hearts & minds of the people in charge & make them resolve to never, at all cost, allow a similar incident from happening again.

[murphyslaw]

The scariest environment imaginable full of decayed corpses and these guys have the courage and empathy to go down there and retrieve people so they’re not just corpses - they’re loved ones returned home. I can’t put in words what I think of these guys. 100, 1000 times the men I’ll ever be.

[CharlieApples]

The shots of the bodies ascending to the surface were strangely beautiful. Like they were being set free, and were finally going home.

[antoniokoronel]

My brother was one the casualty of the MV Princess tragedy, he was recovered by guys like you.Thanks and much respect to all of you.

[hollywoodhiggins]

At 6:30 they raise my brother up! His name was Timothy Higgins and he was the greatest person I ever met! These guys rescued his body and gave my family a chance to mourn!

[margavsd]

The tiny jellyfishes swimming at the end gave the impression of finally free souls.
May all rest in peace and many blessing to the brave team in this mission.

[BleedthisFreak]

This doesn’t feel disrespectful or gory at all, if anything you really get a sense that those bodies are being set free. Quite peaceful and beautiful. Hats off to all of the divers it takes a special person to do what they do.

[fatherguidosarduchi]

I have done body retrieval on search and rescue. The first time it scared me to death. No one warned me about a body falling apart when you reach out to move it. My diver partner saw my breathing rapidly speed up and signaled to me ti ask if I was ok. I was, but it was hard and a shock to me. Nothing can prepare you for this. I will never forget the experience. It is something that scares you to death, but at the same time it teaches you humiliation and that we are all important and all very fragile. It becomes a respectful process because in the end you forget about nationality, religion, color, sex gender. You are handling a person that deserves your gentle touch and respect.

[DaniDiggory]

For anyone afraid of watching this video - it is not creepy nor gore. The very few images we have from the victims were shot with the utmost respect. It is beautiful, sad and yet inspiring. God bless those divers and the families who lost their loved ones!

[hardenedsoul]

When I was 7 years old, my 5 year old sister passed away in an accidental drowning while we were swimming. It was one of the hardest things I ever had to witness. But thanks to the brave men and women who recovered her body, we were able to say goodbye and have a funeral for her. I was 22 when I finally came to peace with it all. Thank you for what you do and the risks you take. You have no idea how much that closure means. I can sit by her grave and reminisce on happy childhood memories, all because of a few good people willing to put their lives on the line for families they don’t know. RIP the souls lost in this tragedy.

[rossvoorheis]

Seeing that photo album with some poor fellow's wife smiling up from the bottom of the ocean was gut wrenching. Hope they got their sailor back.

[chrisnelson]

I know some people take issue with seeing deceased humans on video but I think this stuff needs to be shown, it's a reminder of how precious life is, how quickly it can be taken away and how many people are hurt by the loss of one human, a moment where race, religion, ethnicity, sex, creed doesn't matter, they are a human, a human life that was lost tragically before they could live their full life, it still amazes me that race is an issue in our world and we can't just simply be humans, my condolences to the families, RIP.

[jeffro]

A lot of people don't understand, the risk that these guys take, to help bring loved ones back for a proper funeral. They risk their own lives, to not only help those families who lost someone, but they help the people that passed away, get the burial that they deserve. You can't measure that level of selflessness. Bravo guys!

[asuban]

I am a professional sailor and sometimes it feels like our souls don't matter at all. Thank you for retrieving the bodies, it brings some peace to me to know there are some who care.

[mrkipling]

That bit at 4:58 got me. Seeing personal pictures and stuff like that, even though I don’t know who made it or anything was really sad. RIP to those lost in this shipwreck.

[hobsdigree]

Everyone of those bodies has a story, a family and memories about them. May they rest in peace. Let us not forget them.

[EddVCR]

6:47 It’s touching to see the deceased person ascend after being finally freed. Bless the divers for doing this intensely difficult job which helps to give the families closure.

[maxtravers]

I heard in some cultures jellyfish are the souls of the sailors lost at sea throughout history. I like to think they were seeing their brothers off at the end.
This was a very beautiful

[ciganyweaverandherperiwink]

Incredible work. I sometimes think of the Korean civilian who opted to dive and bring back as many bodies of deceased students as he could after the Korean ferry disaster. It was a horribly corrupt episode in Korean political history and the fact that nobody could do the recovery work but this bloke...he wasn't trained for the psychological impact and committed suicide not long afterwards, having spoken openly about how what he saw and went through ruined his life. All credit goes to our unsung heroes in life who remain humble yet never get the dignity, gratitude and public acknowledgement they deserve.

[KovarrBlue]

I've always had a deep fear of drowning, either in a sinking ship, car, or even a plane. These divers are very brave people for going into those tangled wrecks with all that gear where they could easily get lines fouled. Thank you for what you do.

[MargoIndigo]

as a certified diver myself, these brave men and women are simply built differently. one of my instructors is a body recovery diver and he said it changes you forever but that it’s both the most rewarding and the most heartbreaking thing he’s ever done. they have a whole other kind of dedication to their craft and duty to others and i have nothing but the utmost respect for them.