Persistence Continues Search for Natalee Holloway in Aruba Waters

The Persistence continues is job in searching for Natalee Holloway off the coast of Aruba. The deep sea search continues and is full steam ahead. They pursue the mission at hand, but recently took time to give us a brief update as to how the effort were going, News Audio Update from the Aruban Natalee Holloway Deep Sea Search.

Good luck to all aboard the RV Persistence …

The Persistance searching the seabed for the remains of Natalee Holloway.

ORANJESTAD – The decision of the Public Prosecutor to dismiss the Holloway-case has no effect on the investigation of the special ship Persistance, emphasized the crew that started to scan the seabed around Aruba on Tuesday.  With the best equipment in the world, they are trying to find Holloway.  Dave Holloway, Natalee’s father announced the arrival of the ship one month ago.  However, the ship’s arrival was delayed by the tropical storm Olga.

The ship has modern sonological-equipment that can scan up to 4000 meters deep. 

The ship can scan very deep seabeds.  The ship will first determine the topographical situation of the sea around Aruba till the sea border with Venezuela.   The speed of the sound under water is measured with a sound velocity profile (SVP).  This is needed for the calculation of data during the scan.  Strange abnormal forms on the seabed can be captured with that.  

Maritime geologist Kyle Kingman, who maintains a blog about the expedition compares the seabed with an ‘old living creature from the end of the cretaceous period, full of stories’.  “We know that this creature is making sure that he does not abandon his secrets”, writes Kingman.  He expects though that when the side scan sonar is activated, the contents of each split is going to be revealed and can be seen on a monitor in the computer room.  He says though that it remains difficult, like a shopping cart in an area as big as Manhattan.  

The search is of course going to cost a lot.  There are 18 people working with the most modern and expensive instruments on board of the ship.  Project manager Tim Miller doesn’t want to confirm that millions of dollars in donations are paying for this search.  “We don’t want media-attention; we only want to do our job.”  He only wanted to talk to Diario.  Also the office of the organization Texas Equusearch (TES), of which Miller is the founder, doesn’t want to say anything.  This abundantly sponsored American organization is specialized in search actions for mainly missing fellow country persons.  TES has already searched for Natalee two years ago, but only to a depth of 100 meters at that time.  

The organization receives a lot of monetary- as well as emotional support on the weblog.  This support is mainly from people that give the Lord’s blessing and that ask everybody to pray for the crew on the ship and the Holloway family.  Criticism is not really tolerated on the website.  These are not even added to the log.  An anonymous informant is wondering whether the authorities are on board of the ship for if they find evidence.  The lawyers of the former suspects are afraid that evidence can be planted by the crew.  “They may just drop or add a purse for example.”

The OM does not cooperate with the search action, but wants to be kept informed of whatever is discovered that can be of interest.  It is not known whether the crew has applied for a work permit for the search with the government. (Amigoe: 12/27/2007)