Parents of St. Michael Teacher Still Missing

As the elaborate search for the missing passengers–estimated to be at about 19 now–continues, the Heil family of Minnesota awaits for any word.

To date, there are 16 confirmed dead, and another body was found Wednesday. The Italian Coast Guard said there is no more hope for any survivors.

In a blog post Wednesday evening, the Heil family said they are still "waiting," and that the search is incredibly complex as divers move into deeper and deeper water.

The post:

"As the days come and go we find this to be such an extreme test of our patience. We so badly want Mom and Dad to be found so we can bring them home. The last few days have yielded the recovery of several passengers but we have received no notification that they have located Mom and Dad.

"We continue to monitor first-hand the ongoing search efforts taking place in Italy. The conditions in which the divers are forced to operate are undoubtedly making this a very slow process. Currently, the area of the ship they are searching which they believe could be where many of the missing are located is in 60 feet of water. As a result it takes them significant time to get to the area to search. In addition, due to the depth and the fact that they are inside the ship, they are searching in complete darkness and the visibility is approximately one foot.  We can only imagine that much of their searching must be done ‘by feel’ inside a ship that is over 900 feet long and may have up to 17 floors. Lastly, as a result of the depth they are in, divers are required to go through decompression after completing their dive which helps ensure their safety but also increases the time until that specific diver can go down again. 

"The term, 'needle in a haystack' certainly seems like an appropriate comparison.  We continue to pray for the safety of those searching and express our sincere gratitude for all of their efforts."

Aaron Heil, a teacher at is on leave while the search for his parents continue. His brother and sister have made their way to Italy, while those back here continue to work with both the United States and Italian governments to make arrangements for their parents' return to Minnesota.

Gerald (Gerry) and Barbara Heil are from White Bear Lake. They had recently retired, and booked the cruise around Italy aboard the Concordia for what they told family and friends was the "trip of a lifetime."

Devout Catholics, Gerry was telling friends and fellow parishoners in White Bear Lake he was excited to see Rome.

The Costa Concrodia ran aground off the island of Giglio when its captain ordered the crew to alter its route and sail close to a rocky reef, saluting a former ship captain who lives on the Tuscan coast. The hull was gouged by rocks, and the ship listed over onto its starboard side.

More than 4,200 passengers and crew were aboard the ship when it crashed.