Divers Await New Protective Gear for ValuJet Crash Site Search

Divers were waiting for new protective suits Saturday before making their first real foray into the giant, muddy crater made by ValuJet Flight 592 when it crashed into the Everglades one week ago, killing 110 people.

Changing water levels in the swampy Everglades have meant that new parts of the wreckage have surfaced daily, forcing searchers to go over areas previously examined, said Michael Benson, a National Transportation Safety Board spokesman.

Several buses loaded with tourists stopped Saturday at a staging area set up by emergency workers several miles from the crash site. Some tourists got out of the buses to take photographs of the remote area.

Divers had planned to make their first real search of the giant crater Saturday, but the “biohazard” suits from California had not yet arrived, Benson said.