"The underwater search continues with an AUV searching areas of challenging terrain and an ROV examining a range of sonar contacts which have been previously identified. Over the past week, ROV missions have revealed those contacts to be geological or man-made objects," ATSB said in a statement. "Dive 17 identified a contact cluster as geological comprising basaltic rock outcrops on a slope."
The agency hopes to conclude their search by February of next year, if no credible clues are found between now and then — they plan to suspend the search.
The group “Voice370” consists primarily of the next-of-kin of those who were onboard. They have become increasingly upset about the lack of a coordinated search effort in the western Indian Ocean or along the African coast — despite wreckage determined to have been confirmed or likely to have been from MH370 being found in those regions
“Despite these hugely important finds, there has been no systematic, organized search by any responsible party,” the group wrote in a post on Facebook announcing their trip earlier this month. “This leaves the NOKs [next-of-kin] no other choice except to take it upon ourselves to do something to find answers and closure.”
Flight MH370 was en route from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing and disappeared from radar screens on March 8, 2014, less than an hour after taking off. There were 227 passengers and 12 crew members on board when it vanished.
