Families Of Those Lost "Very Divided" Over Recovering Remains

Salvage teams working on the wreckage of Air France Flight 447, which went down nearly two years ago on a flight from Rio de Janeiro to Paris, have recovered a body still strapped into its seat and raised it to the surface. The move has caused some controversy among the families of those lost in the accident.

ROV View Of Debris Site

Investigators say that the water temperature and lack of oxygen and light at nearly 13,000 feet underwater have preserved the bodies, though they are reportedly in "fairly poor condition." Bloomberg News reports that the investigators took a DNA sample from the body that was recovered in an effort to determine the passenger's identity.  But the BEA says the examination of the bodies could provide clues as to the attitude of the airplane as it impacted the surface. A Scottish forensic pathologist told Bloomberg that one body was not going to yield very much information. He said it requires examining several bodies to determine a pattern of injuries to be effective.

A French police statement said that "very strong uncertainties remain" about the feasibility of recovering additional bodies from the ocean floor. The remains of 51 of those on board, including the pilot, were found in the ocean in the weeks following the accident. The families of those whose bodies may still be in or near the wreckage are deeply divided as to whether to recover the remains, or leave them on the ocean floor.

FMI: www.bea.aero/en/index.php