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Published Sunday, May 12, 1996, in the Miami Herald.

Through muck and sawgrass, a grim and dangerous task

By JOHN LANTIGUA and AMY DRISCOLL
Herald Staff Writers

Dozens of rescue workers will regroup in the Everglades this morning, with talk of building a half-mile makeshift road from a levee to the spot where a ValuJet plane crashed on Saturday.

Rescue workers were stymied in the efforts Saturday: They are trying to find 109 passengers and crew members from the ValuJet flight, and they have no firm ground to stand on. The plane crashed in muck. They are uncertain if the jet disintegrated or if part of it is lodged in the Everglades, invisible.

``It's a very dangerous situation for the rescuers,'' Metro Fire Lt. Luis Fernandez said.

Late Saturday, Fernandez said the team may try to dump gravel from the levee to the crash site, allowing workers to continue their search for bodies in the worst aviation accident in South Florida history.

Rescue teams kept about 10 airboats at the site Saturday night but planned to wait until daybreak before resuming their efforts.



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