Bangladeshi scuba diver Abul Khaer has become a hero in his home country for his daring dives to locate the victims of ferry disasters
Recovering bodies from shipwrecks isn't the most palatable of dive topics, but this moving article about Abul Khaer from AFP - reproduced in the Khaleej Times - shows an amazing level of dedication that should be acknowledged. Khaer has become a hero in Bangladesh for his tireless efforts to find underwater the victims of ferries which have sunk within the country's extensive river networks, usually due to overcrowding by unscrupulous owners. While most of us spend our time finning around in clear waters marvelling at the beauty of nature, it's worth sparing a thought for those divers in every country who work for the emergency services doing grim but necessary work.
Thousands of ferries ply Bangladesh’s network of 230 rivers each day providing transport for more than 100,000 poor, rural people.
Each year scores of lives are lost in ferry accidents like Tuesday’s.
The divers often have to battle dangerous currents and take risks far beyond the call of duty get the job done.
“In diving, it is normal that you only dive for a certain period of time each day,” said Salim Newaz Khan, head of Dhaka fire brigade
“But these boys often carry on despite the risks to their health and a salary of only 4,400 taka a month (74 dollars),” he said.
The reason is simple, added Khan. The country’s small band of fire brigade and navy divers know that if they can recover bodies quickly they can be returned to families in better condition, lessening their distress.
Colleagues say this gives Khaer the motivation to keep going. They describe him as “modest and a little shy” and say he takes pride in his achievements.
In 1990 he was credited with saving the lives of 300 female workers in a factory fire and he holds a firefighting record for being able to climb 13.5 metres (45 feet) in six seconds.
“They say, we don’t have heroes, but this diver is ours,” said Lieutenant Commander Mahbubur Rashid of the Bangladesh Navy.
“He doesn’t think about himself. Once I saw him shaking so badly I thought he might have hypothermia but the next day he was there again, ready for duty.
Nurul Haq, Khaer’s trainer and assistant director of Dhaka fire brigade, ranks him as the nation’s best firefighter and diver.
“In diving, he is second to none, in firefighting, too, he is the best the country has,” he said.
“He is unparalleled; tireless, he never gives up,” he added.
