Diary records painstaking rescue efforts after air crash

Part 4: Stuck in the mud

Heavy rain fell over the rescue area overnight on March 23.

On March 24, we received the order to widen the search area 1.5 times to search for the black boxes. The site was full of sludge, water and potholes, which was slippery and bumpy to walk on.

I thought the plane flew downside, and the black boxes would be at the bottom of the hill, and then I went to the lower place to excavate.

Unaware, my feet were deeply covered by mud, and when I found my shins cold, my thighs were almost in the mud. No matter how hard I tried to move out and even get rid of the mud around me, I fell further and further, and the muddy water flowed in.

The team leader discovered the situation and pulled the rope to help me out. I looked back at the pit and found my boot was there. Team leader warned rescuers that the mud had softened after the rain and they have to stay alert.