WHITE BEAR LAKE, Minn. (AP) - The children of a Minnesota couple missing since last week's cruise ship disaster in Italy said Wednesday their parents are not among those passengers whose bodies were recently recovered.
Family members posted the information on their blog, and said they were praying that conditions at the Costa Concordia would improve so authorities could resume search operations.
Jerry and Barbara Heil, of White Bear Lake, Minn., are the only Americans unaccounted for among the more than 4,200 people aboard the ship when it struck a reef Friday near Tuscany. Authorities have confirmed 11 people died, but only one has been identified—a 38-year-old crew member from Hungary.
The Heils were listed among the 21 people still missing, according to an official tally released Wednesday by Italian authorities.
Friends, relatives and other supporters held a vigil for the couple Wednesday night, describing them as deeply religious people devoted to charity and volunteering. About 450 people gathered at St. Pius X Church, where Jerry and Barbara Heil are active members.
"There's always hope. And if we can hope that there's a miracle, we'll keep praying," Mark Peterson, who said his family had known the Heils for years, said as he headed into the vigil with his wife.
Some family members were present, including the Heils' granddaughter, Lexi. She asked everyone to continue to pray for her grandparents, along with others on board the ship and the rescuers.
The church went dark at the end of the nearly hour-long service as those gathered inside lit candles for the Heils.
Italian rescue workers suspended operations early Wednesday after the ship shifted slightly on the rocks, creating concerns about the safety of divers and firefighters searching for the missing. The Heils' children, who had been waiting to hear the identities of five bodies recovered Tuesday, said on their blog that they received confirmation that their parents were not among them.
"We continue to pray and hope for advantageous conditions which will allow the search and rescue operations to continue," the Heil family said on the blog. "While it is certainly hard for us to see the recovery efforts stall due to the unstable conditions present at and around the Costa Concordia, we are also very concerned for the safety of the Italian Coast Guard as they continue to put forth a heroic effort in trying to find those who remain missing.
"We are grateful to all of those who are working so hard to find our parents," the statement said.
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