The Thai Consulate-General’s Office in Los Angeles has been informed by the Fresno County Sheriff’s Office that it was not sure how long the recovery operation will take, according to the Consulate’s Facebook page.

The sheriff’s office suggested that consulate officials and relatives of the students arrive at the site at around 8pm-9pm.

Efforts to find the bodies of Thiwadee Saengsuriyarit, 24, and Bhakapon Chairattanasongporn, 28, have been delayed because of the high water level in the river and bad weather, which could have threatened the safety of the rescue teams.

The two postgraduate students of the University of South Florida went missing on July 26. They were believed to have been heading to Kings Canyon National Park. The rented car reportedly went off the road in Sierra Nevada and crashed some 150 metres into the swollen Kings River. Hotel staff alerted police after the two failed to return to the hotel, as they were due to check out on July 27.

At the request of the families of the victims, the Consulate will seek permission from local authorities to bring a monk to the site to conduct a religious ceremony for both students.

After the remains of Thiwadee and Bhakapon are collected, they would be sent for an autopsy and identity confirmation before being transferred to a temple in Los Angeles for Buddhist rites and cremation.

The family of Thiwadee intends to bring the ashes back to Thailand while Bhakapon’s family plans to scatter the ashes in California.