MV Swift Rescue returns to Singapore after finding QZ8501 fuselage

SINGAPORE — Singapore has wrapped up its assistance efforts in the search operations for AirAsia Flight QZ8501 with the homecoming today afternoon (Jan 18) of its navy ship MV Swift Rescue, which had found the fuselage of the passenger jet.

Over at Changi Airport, the Singapore disaster victim identification team, comprising officers from the Singapore Police Force and Health Sciences Authority, also returned home yesterday after lending their assistance to the Indonesian authorities over the past two weeks.

The Singapore Armed Forces’ (SAF) 22-day deployment in the search mission had involved more than 400 personnel, two C-130 aircrafts, two Super Puma helicopters, five navy ships and a six-man Autonomous Underwater Vehicle team. 

Receiving the 70 personnel of MV Swift Rescue at Changi Naval Base today was Defence Minister Ng Eng Hen, who commended the professionalism and efforts of all servicemen and women involved in the search efforts, which “made a difference to the outcome”.

“They have helped Indonesia, especially the families of the victims, to find closure as well as to find answers to what caused the accident,” he added. Dr Ng also joined about 80 representatives of the other ships and aircraft deployed for the search operations to observe a minute of silence on the RSS Persistence for the victims of the accident.

The commander of the task group for underwater search operations Senior Lieutenant-Colonel Chow Khim Chong also recounted the search efforts that culminated in the MV Swift Rescue locating the fuselage. “Underwater search operations (are) very slow and require a lot of time. Only when the search area was narrowed down — with the help of Barsarnas — were we (able to) achieve a higher (level of) confidence for the search,” he added. Barsanas is the Indonesian search and rescue agency.

MV Swift Rescue’s Deputy Officer Commanding, Major Wee Hong Tat, who was leading the team operating the vessel’s sonar when they spotted the fuselage, added: “We were quite relieved we found something ... but when we really saw the aircraft and ... some bodies, the sadness came in.”