Shuttle Debris Sought in Texas Reservoir

[Big-t-2538]

Is anyone from the board involved directly or indirectly with this recovery??

From the AP
By PAULINE ARRILLAGA, AP National Writer

NACOGDOCHES, Texas - Authorities returned to the rain-dampened forests of East Texas on Monday in search of remnants of the space shuttle Columbia and remains of its astronauts, as divers headed to the depths of a huge reservoir where part of the shuttle may have splashed down.

On the border of the two states, 14 divers from the Texas Department of Public Safety recovery team prepared Monday to search the Toledo Bend Reservoir for shuttle wreckage.


Fishermen said they saw a car-size chunk splash into the water Saturday.


The divers would wear helmets equipped with cameras, said dive team commander Lynn Dixon.


"We're not anticipating any visibility. The camera sees more than divers will see," Dixon said. Divers would have to rely on sense of touch to get around.

 

[Scubaroo]

What sickens me is reports of people trying to sell pieces of debris on eBay. Some of the listings are thought to be hoaxes, but it looks like several people actually had pieces of the shuttle in their possession and were trying to sell them. I did a search on eBay, and it was sickening to see people had already made caps and t-shirts to cash in on the disaster, as well as one guy who had even rushed out and had some envelopes printed up with Columbia on them, post-marked with the day of the tragedy on them, and then listed dozens of them for $9.99 to "collectors". Suddenly everyone with a shuttle patch like the burnt one found near the human remains in Texas is trying to sell it for hundreds of dollars.

<bleep> There's over 4000 items for sale, and almost all of them have been listed since Saturday.

 

[Epinephelus]

Scubaroo once bubbled...
What sort of g*ddam sick freaks live in this country!?!

The same sort that live anywhere you'd care to go.
E. itajara

 

[WreckWriter]

Scubaroo once bubbled...
What sort of g*ddam sick freaks live in this country!?!

Balance is the key to existance. As we have the finest people in the world, in my opinion of course, we must also have the foulest.

WW

 

[Scubaroo]

I toned it down a little.

 

[Spectre]

Anyone notice this auction? It's actually up to $25.

subject: "Columbia wreckage damaged my rake!"
"I left this rake in the yard Friday night. When I went out to fetch it Saturday 'bout dinner time I seen it was bent and layin' next to a can-of-peas sized chunk of Columbia wreckage! I called 911 and them HazMat people come out, took the wreckage but let me have the rake back. They said the rake couldn't do no harm to no one, cept to club'em over the head with it. I also have a picture and negative of the rake lying next to the debris that I will give to the winning bidder. I prefer PayPal, but money orders and checks work just as well too. Good luck!"

 

[Big-t-2538]

I can't say I'm surprised by the auctions....but can say I'm highly disappointed...not only in the seller, but also by the sick individuals who are bidding on items. To what end will people go to try and make a buck off of such a horrific event that is shaping the history we are living in today. Anyway, if anyone has info on the recovery dives, I'd still like to hear those stories and find out what these divers found or didn't find. I wonder if there's a good bit of debris off in the gulf....

 

[Big-t-2538]

Scubaroo once bubbled...
I toned it down a little.

You're previous/inital reaction is a lot more interesting to me, because that's the way I feel too...

 

[Epinephelus]

Big-t-2538 once bubbled...
I wonder if there's a good bit of debris off in the gulf....

From all the radar traces it looks like nothing made it much past Alexandria, LA, several hundred miles from the gulf on that track - and on the track the Shuttle was taking it would just tick the very northern tip of the Gulf near Destin, if at all.
E. itajara

 

[WreckWriter]

They're pulling the items. http://www.cnn.com/2003/TECH/internet/02/03/sprj.colu.ebay.ap/index.html