MH370 Cambodia Search Halted As Wreckage Hunter 'Almost Killed' In Dangerous Path

The search operation led by British investigator Ian Wilson who claimed to have found missing Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370 on Google Maps in Cambodia had to be halted due to the dangers on the path. Ian and his brother Jack had set off on a five-mile mission through the Cambodian jungle this week to locate the wreckage of the plane.

However, they had to abort the search operation as the route was allegedly very dangerous and could cost them their lives. The duo had used local guides to take them close to the Pursat Province border — four miles north of the Phnom Aoral peak, where Ian believes the plane is located.

"We couldn’t do it from where we went from. It is the hardest thing I’ve ever done. Our guides reached a point and couldn’t go any further," Ian told the Daily Star. "They got to a waterfall and then did the 'we can’t do more' sign. Jack and I couldn’t understand it, we weren’t too happy but we were also exhausted from carrying the bags."

"We’ve picked up injuries, many falls and climbs that were really painful. My feet are destroyed, I have knee sprains. But I'm really proud of Jack... Both of us had to cross around 20 waterfalls, we fell most of the time and we were lucky to not kill ourselves on the boulders and get swept away in the current," he added.

Ian and Jack arrived in the Cambodian capital, Phnom Penh, on Tuesday before their journey to Chrok La Eang Waterfalls — a tourist hotspot. They then were scheduled to embark on the five-mile journey to Ian's Google coordinates.

"Bruised and battered, it was a hell of an effort. I just wish we’d gone from the waterfall as planned but things didn’t go to plan. No one speaks English at all. I’m proud we got as far as we did after all the let downs, we can hold our heads up high," Ian said. "The guides indicated there was no way they could take us any further... We’d never have got that far without them, to be honest, they were brilliant at using machetes to clear room to crawl through."

According to Ian, Flight MH370, which went missing March 8, 2014, crashed in the Cambodian jungle. The plane was carrying 239 people while on its way from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing when it went off the radar. Despite a multimillion-dollar search, the plane could not be found and investigators failed to determine the cause of the crash.

In September, Ian claimed to have spotted the plane in the Cambodian jungle and decided to embark on a journey to the region to prove his claim.

Last week, pilot Daniel Boyer said he believes he found the body of MH370 along with the tail and the cockpit of the aircraft on Google Maps. He said he had Google Maps images to back his claim. However, these claims could not be verified and there has been no official statement from authorities to support the latest theory.

“I really think this image could show the plane’s body. If you look closely enough you can see the ‘y’ from the logo, with the cabin windows below. This is definitely a plane wreckage of some sort and needs to be investigated," Boyer told the Daily Star.

Since the plane disappeared, many conspiracy theories have emerged. Some claimed the pilot crashed the plane in a "death-dive," while others hinted at a possible hijack.