… Swamp boogies, technical experts arrive at the crash site

… Divers spot wreckage but cannot reach it – Govt

Two amphibious excavators, commonly known as swamp boogies, have arrived at the crash site of the Nigerian Air Force ATR-42 aircraft that went down in a swampy area of Igbokoda, headquarters of Ilaje Local Council Area of Ondo State, as part of the rescue and recovery operation.

The heavy-duty equipment, deployed by the government, arrived alongside a team of technical personnel armed with specialized detection equipment to pinpoint the exact location of the submerged wreckage.

The development was coming more than 24 hours after the aircraft crashed into the Igbokoda creeks, with the remains of the victims yet to be recovered as of 5:00 pm on Tuesday.

The aircraft, which went down on Monday morning, is buried and submerged deep in the swamp, making it an herculean task for the search team to operate optimally.

The crash, which has plunged the country into mourning, occurred when the aircraft, which was on a routine mission from Benin, Edo State Capital, to Lagos, fell into the Igbokoda creeks with 25 souls on board.
Sources at the scene confirmed that the wreckage lies in an area that is largely inaccessible, with murky waters and thick vegetation compounding the challenges facing emergency responders.

When The Guardian visited the Forward Operating Base (FOB), journalists were barred from the crash site, which is located about 500 meters east of the Naval Base condoned off.

Meanwhile, some journalists were arrested by the operatives of the FOB for purportedly accessing the crash site without approval.

With the deployment of the boogies, residents of the coastal community expressed optimism that the development will boost efforts to recover the remains of victims and retrieve the aircraft from the difficult terrain.

The swampy nature of the crash site, located at about 500 meters from the FOB, has made access and recovery efforts particularly challenging, with initial attempts using small boats proving inadequate.

Commissioner for Environment Tob Loko disclosed that divers were struggling to locate the main body of the aircraft but that one of them eventually spotted the wreckage before he departed.

Loko explained that the small boat available at the scene was insufficient to pull out the wreckage, necessitating the deployment of the heavier swamp boogies.

He said, “I saw the divers trying to see where the aircraft is, but they were finding it extremely difficult, but when I was leaving, one of them said he was able to spot it, so they could only bring out parts.”

“We felt that was the particular spot of the wreckage, so we felt we had to make a heavier deployment. By the time we deploy the swam boogies, we will be able to pull them out and see how much rescue we are able to do.

“In a few minutes from now, we should be able to deploy it to the forest. The place is not as close as people think; it’s at least 500 m from Igbokoda. By the time we take this boogie, we will be able to make rescue, and we are optimistic that survivors are still alive.”

Commissioner for Works and Infrastructure, Ayorinde Olawoye, stated the state government had deployed all available machinery to the area and other equipment capable of assisting in the operation.

Olawoye stated that the swamp boogies are designed to float on water and navigate the difficult terrain to reach the crash site, and that within five hours, substantial progress would be made.

He, however, cautioned against speculation, noting that no specific information could be confirmed until the machines reached the scene, stressing that any information currently circulating would be based on assumption rather than verified fact.

“You can see that the swamp boogie is set to float on the water and to go to where it happened. Within five hours, the reasonable thing will be done, and I pray that almighty God should pacify the family of the victims.

“I pray such will not happen again.

Nobody can give specific information now until we get to the scene with the machines. So any information now will be on assumption.”